X-energy is developing the Xe-100 small modular reactor (SMR) to provide high-temperature heat and electricity to heavy industries like concrete, steel, and chemical manufacturing. The reactor uses helium gas as a coolant, allowing operation at lower pressures and higher temperatures than traditional water-cooled systems. It can generate 80 megawatts (MW) of electricity or produce super-heated steam for direct industrial use.
The reactor employs TRISO fuel—tiny, corrosion-resistant uranium pebbles that flow slowly through the core and are continuously added and removed. X-energy claims the design is intrinsically safe; if temperatures rise, the nuclear reaction naturally stops. Headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, the company was founded in 2009.
Industrial heating accounts for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the Xe-100 could help decarbonize hard-to-electrify processes. It may also serve data centers, oil refineries, and tar sand operations. Up to 12 reactors can be clustered for 24/7 power without new transmission lines.
While helium-cooled reactors exist in China, commercial success is unproven. Nuclear costs often balloon, and SMR electricity may cost over six times more than solar. The Xe-100 may produce 10 times more spent fuel volume per unit of energy than conventional reactors.
Sumber: MIT Technology Review · Diringkas oleh HeadlinesBriefing