Article
Lightbridge
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Lightbridge Fuel enables safer and cheaper nuclear energy for the industry
Our world must achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and take serious steps in the short term to ensure we get there. If we cannot reach this 2050 goal, we will face frequent extreme weather and other public health and climate disparities. The scientific consensus on the harms of fossil fuels to the planet, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, is well established, and we should make fossil fuels a thing of the past as soon as possible.
Nuclear energy has a part to play in helping countries meet their energy needs and addressing the ‘existential crisis' of climate change, says Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
We are Lightbridge Corporation (NASDAQ: LTBR), an advanced nuclear fuel technology company concerned with the devastating effects of climate change. We echo what the IAEA Director General says about the importance of nuclear energy to avoid the worst of the climate crisis. At Lightbridge, we believe the world’s growing clean energy needs can only be met with nuclear providing a larger portion of the diversified energy needs, alongside green and renewable sources, such as wind and solar.
Nuclear energy makes a positive climate impact since it emits no carbon when generating energy, and nuclear has been proven to work at all times of the day. Nuclear energy does not need the sun to shine nor wind to be operational and provide energy to strengthen our electric grids. Nuclear also doesn’t require the massive energy storage infrastructure that renewables need.
However, we still believe that the nuclear industry can be steered into being safer and cheaper.
Just like how the airbags in cars have revolutionized how we approach cars, our patented Lightbridge Fuel™ will change how people imagine the future of nuclear energy. Lightbridge Fuel will help to steer the nuclear industry into a safer, affordable, and climate-friendly future.
An image of the cross-section of a Lightbridge Fuel™ rod design.
Let’s jump into explaining Lightbridge Fuel™ and how it is good for nuclear energy —
Using Lightbridge Fuel™ addresses safety concerns over nuclear energy:
- Lightbridge Fuel addresses safety concerns since it operates about 1000° C cooler than current nuclear fuels and will not produce hydrogen gas in the event of a design basis loss of coolant accident, which is what exploded at Fukushima.
- Lightbridge Fuel is also being designed to eliminate existing stockpiles of plutonium.
- Importantly, spent Lightbridge Fuel is unable to be used for nuclear weapons. You can read the peer-reviewed article in the Nuclear Engineering and Design journal that had an independent validation of the nonproliferation benefits of Lightbridge’s innovative metallic fuel design.
Lightbridge Fuel™ is affordable and efficient:
- Lightbridge Fuel allows existing and new reactors to operate at lower temperatures while extracting more heat from the fuel core with more efficient energy output.
- Reactors powered with Lightbridge Fuel can achieve 10% power uprates and extend their fuel cycles from 18 to 24 months, a significant economic benefit for utilities.
- Lightbridge Fuel can be used in both small modular reactors (SMRs) and large reactors in existence today. This means that the benefits of Lightbridge Fuel can be realized by the existing fleet of large light water reactors.
- Lightbridge Fuel can provide SMRs the same benefits our technology brings to large reactors. Still, the benefits may be more meaningful to the economic case for deploying SMRs, enabling them to generate more power and reducing the cost per unit of electricity generated by the SMR.
— Currently, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is performing a study funded by the U.S. Department of Energy on the deployment of accident tolerant fuels in SMRs by simulating the fuel and safety performance of Lightbridge Fuel inside an SMR designed by NuScale Power.
- Lightbridge Fuel can enhance the ability of SMRs to ramp up and down in power quickly, to pair with renewables on a zero-carbon electric grid.
With our technology, rising energy demands can be met while reducing carbon emissions and operating costs while increasing safety and capacity.
At Lightbridge, we are concerned about the devastating effects of fossil fuels. We believe we can help society wean itself off its reliance on fossil fuels through positive nuclear energy climate action.
Fossil fuel infrastructure is embedded deep in society. Still, we have to end this unhealthy consumption of fossil fuels to reach the global climate goals and save ourselves from a difficult future. Society must include all non-emitting carbon energy sources, even nuclear energy, in the fight against the climate crisis. We spoke on the importance of nuclear energy in fighting the climate crisis on We Don’t Have Time’s COP27 Climate Hub Panel - Achieving Energy Security While Meeting Climate Goals, and we invite you to hear what our President and CEO, Seth Grae, had to say about achieving clean energy security through nuclear energy.
Additionally, we see nuclear energy as a way to divert money away from petro-dictators like Vladimir Putin and provide strengthened energy security to democracies. With winter approaching, now more than ever, the world must still meet its energy needs without relying on fossil fuels, especially when a petro-dictator can leverage it in a game of political negotiation.
After reading our post, we understand that you may still feel divided about nuclear energy. But we still invite you to continue to engage with us, and we are excited to join this community to learn more about how people feel about nuclear energy and how we can reach global climate goals together.
What should we talk about for our next post? Let us know in the comments!
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18 w
Resolutions that impact on climate change sustainability should be at the forefront of every company's initiatives. Great to see cutting-edge solutions such as Lightbridge join in the movement.
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23 w
Interesting to learn more about your fuel, if it can make nuclear viable and safe I don't see any issues with it as long as the fuel is readily available without destroying the environment excessively.
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We Don't Have Time•
23 w
Powerful article and very educative.
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24 w
Nice insights!
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24 w
Great article! I really enjoyed this comparison in the article: Just like how the airbags in cars have revolutionized how we approach cars, our patented Lightbridge Fuel™ will change how people imagine the future of nuclear energy.