The AI industry is desperate for data centre power anywhere it can get it. They can’t get gas turbines without years of delay. Even the repurposed jet engine gas turbines they were really hoping wo…
    • Frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      The conclusion of the NS Savannah was that it would have been economical after the oil crisis of the 1970s caused a price spike in fuel costs. Ports also need facilities and training to handle nuclear fuel. Once you have that, it’s perfectly viable.

      Unlike energy generation on land, there isn’t a lot of alternatives for decarbonizing marine transport.

      • David Gerard@awful.systemsOPMEnglish
        1·
        3 months ago

        I’m sure there will be no issues setting up nuclear fuel handling at ports worldwide. Well, maybe one or two.

    • fullsquare@awful.systemsEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      iirc us navy loads their reactors with 93% enriched uranium, the same grade that is used in (american) nukes (and also in couple of very special use cases like oak ridge high flux reactor fuel). can’t hand this out just like that. one fuel load is expected to last entire ship lifetime. the less enriched grade you use, the bigger reactor becomes and refueling has to be more frequent

      • David Gerard@awful.systemsOPMEnglish
        1·
        3 months ago

        Trump was ready to give some Sam Altman project highly enriched uranium, though I’m not clear on whether that was 20% (already considered a serious proliferation risk) or full bomb-grade 95%.

        • fullsquare@awful.systemsEnglish
          0·
          3 months ago

          uranium or plutonium, because i’ve heard of some plutonium that was slated to be disposed of this way 20 years ago and just sat there unused (not that saltman has facilities or people to do anything with it)

          • David Gerard@awful.systemsOPMEnglish
            2·
            3 months ago

            plutonium, looks like:

            US offers nuclear energy companies access to weapons-grade plutonium - Oct 21st https://www.ft.com/content/2fbbc621-405e-4a29-850c-f0079b116216 https://archive.is/Pc949

            The Department of Energy on Tuesday published an application that nuclear energy groups can use to seek up to 19 metric tonnes of the government’s weapons-grade plutonium from cold war-era warheads.

            …

            At least two companies, Oklo, which is backed by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and France’s Newcleo, are expected to apply to access the government’s plutonium stockpile.

            may I just say:

            JESUS FUCKING CHRIST

            However, experts have raised concerns about the commercial use of plutonium and the risk of the material falling into the wrong hands.

            NO SHIT