14 DAY TRIAL // America is now one step closer to a new generation of nuclear reactors, less risky than previous candidates and more efficient when it comes to the amount of energy provided.
Federal regulators have recently given the green light to a new design revealing improvements but not quite considered the next best thing by experts, Msnbc informs.
The AP1000 reactor is the product designed by Westinghouse Electric Co. Its developers guarantee that the safety risks are minimal compared to those posed by three-decades-old reactors currently located in the US.
The most important fact is that they wouldn't threaten the safety of the population with emissions of radioactive materials, while affected by a potential aircraft impact.
This scenario is taken into consideration very often, after the dramatic attacks recorded on September 11th 2001.
Officials from the Nuclear Energy Institute have manifested their excitement, stating that a new generation of nuclear reactors would help restore the national economy by producing cost-effective energy to satisfy the demand.
Design improvements are considered a major asset, especially when it comes to emergency situations. If current reactors use pumps to provide water, the newly-conceived reactors display a giant water tank.
At this point in time, China is eager to experience its benefits, since it has already invested in four AP1000s built on its territory as we speak.
Bringing new reactors to the US seems like a perfect solution to create jobs and decreases greenhouse gas emissions at the same time.
Even though this technology appears to be safe and eco-friendly enough to replace fossil fuel usage, its costs still represent an obstacle, since building a nuclear reactor takes a lot of money out of the government's pockets.
Most of the scientists seem pleased with AP1000 and reveal that its chances to produce a nuclear disaster are slim.
This is an important conclusion that can change the position of those who are against a nuclear development, proving that the Fukushima incident has nothing to do with the new plans.
However, authorized voices from the Union of Concerned Scientists have manifested their doubts, revealing that the AP1000 displays "less robust containment systems, less redundancy in safety systems, and fewer safety-grade structures, systems, and components."