Rolls-Royce has come out of nowhere to announce its new Micro-Reactor, with a post on X and a detailed video rundown of how the nuclear-powered Micro-Reactor works. Check it out:
The company posted a rundown of its Micro-Reactor on its website, stating that both Micro-Reactors and Small Modular Reactors (SMR) use nuclear technology and are part of the “Rollse-Royce nuclear portfolio“, they use different technologies and would be used to power different things.
Rolls-Royce’s new Micro-Reactors is capable of providing 1-10 megawatts of power, and in its more compact size, the UK-based company says it “makes it a transportable source of power“. A transportable, next-generation nuclear-powered Micro-Reactor. The company compared its Micro-Reactor to a Small Modular Reactor, with an SMR powering 0.5 gigawatts and operate from a static site that is approximately the size of two football pitches.
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Rolls-Royce explains their Micro-Reactor: “The Rolls-Royce Micro-Reactor has a high-power density, which means that it can reliably, flexibly and sustainably support a range of operational demands, providing power and heat output, as required. Crucially, the Micro-Reactor is scalable to be easily transportable by rail, sea and even into space, making it a versatile and credible power source for a multitude of applications“.
“The Micro-Reactor uses an inherently safe and robust fuel form. Within its core, each particle of uranium is surrounded by multiple protective layers, allowing it to withstand even the most extreme conditions“.
3The company used different scenarios for its new Micro-Reactor: Defence, Remote Civil Power, Remote Industrial Power, and Power in Space. Any of these, all of these, will be game-changers to civilization. Outside of some fancy video, it’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out throughout the rest of the year, as Rolls-Royce could truly change everything with its Micro-Reactor.
AI data centers are going to chew through unimaginable amounts of power, with semiconductor companies like TSMC and Intel requiring mass amounts of power, and water, to keep everything cool. However, with a Micro-Reactor system (many of them) this would be an issue of the past. Interesting times ahead…