On Tuesday, Nome residents learned about nuclear microreactors, a potential alternative to diesel capable of powering the entire western Alaska hub. The presentation, held at University of Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus, doubled as a listening session for Chief Scientist Gwen Holdmann.
“We're just trying to educate folks to make sure that Alaskans are sort of aware and familiar with this technology,” Holdmann said.
Holdmann works for the Alaska Center for Energy and Power housed at UAF. She explained that a microreactor suitable for Nome could generate five megawatts of electricity and would be small enough to fit in a standard-sized shipping container.
She said the reactor’s small size, high reliability, and low maintenance make it a great energy solution for rural communities across Alaska. Plus, nuclear power creates a lot of heat, which can be used to warm air or water.
Beyond just supplying the power grid, Holdmann said nuclear microreactors can support things outside city lines too.
“Another example is remote mining operations. This would be a power source that could power a mining operation in a remote area,” Holdmann said.
Holdmann acknowledged that nuclear energy isn’t without its critics. Radioactive rods that power traditional nuclear reactors run a risk of melting down, which can negatively impact the environment. But, she says cutting-edge microreactors are designed to mitigate –or eliminate– that risk entirely.
“It's pretty much meltdown proof, because there's just not that much nuclear material, and it's designed and configured in such a way that the reaction would shut off due to just natural laws of physics and thermodynamics,” Holdmann said. “There's no way that it could meltdown.”
Holdmann said she wasn’t in Nome just to present, but that she also wanted to listen to the community. Her goal, she said, was to have in-depth conversations about the public’s knowledge and perspectives on nuclear power. She said a microreactor in Nome would still be a long way away and require local support.
