‘‘
‘‘
um that have been den
but a few parts. Aside
GROUND, RUN
active waste, the only
reaction is extre
UNMANNED FOR nuclear
common pressurise
the heat is u
A DECADE AND designs
to steam, which p
Januarywater
10 2010
would be abo
PROVIDE POWER bine.NoThis
mini reactor desi
by nuclear reg
FOR 20,000 PEOPLE approved
most companies ha
and General Atomics
to startswitched
it mostly
cooks
along fuels, disagrees.
So how “It
would
it work?
lionon
and take
a decade to
build. Hypeis feasible.
We Much like
That’s the idea
at least. Hyperion
uch as Hyperion
areone
working
onsaid
its own,
withcost
a couple
people
The technology
rion’s could
as little asof
$27m
and are today’s
hasn’t built
yet. “Our goal,”
building onreactors.
decades of experigoes
to plan they would be encebehind
Deal,
“is to reactors
take the benefits
nuc- if all
here but we
must
have an honans to make
mini
a ofwatching
the
dials.”
the
different
models varies
lear power, make it safer and get it churned out of factories. They can est nuclear programme that is not a
y. They vary
Backers
claim
that mini
reactors
but
they
all draw
to thefrom
public.”ones so
operate
with minimal
oversight
and front
for the
military
as theon
firstthe
onefission procthey could beSuprisingly,
put in thehebasetechnologically
feasible.
Butthe
get- was,”
esshedeveloped
andwill
honed
over the
is not theare
only
have fail-safe systems
that make
said. The public
be
“nukes
for the masses”.
of a new
nuclear
of a houseone
toselling
larger
models
ting thepossibility
public oftomeltdown
accept remote.
the idea of rightly
pastsceptical
50 years.
Small
reactors THEY
have WILL BE
At least a dozen companies, from
“Sellafield has 150 subsystems. programme, he added, but thought
an be put into
clusters
of
a
dozsmall
nukes
sprinkled
around
the
been
used
for
decades
in
universiPLACED UNDER
giants such as Toshiba-WestingOurs has 12,” said Deal. “Once it is that their fears could be overcome.
Reprinted
from
so to give the
output
of a conbe a on
real
battle.cooks along
forlikeresearch. So
house
and General
Atomics toworld
start- will
switched
it mostly
Soties
howand
wouldhospitals
it work? Much
ups
such
as
Hyperion
are
working
on
its
own,
with
a
couple
of
people
today’s
reactors.
The
technology
GROUND, RUN
onal power station.
Today there are 437 reactors in converting them to generate power
on plans to make mini reactors a watching the dials.”
behind the different models varies
activity reflects
nuclear
powoperation,
mostly
in
North
America,
is
not
the
leap
it
might
seem,
said
reality. They vary from ones so
Backers claim that mini reactors but they all draw on the fission procUNMANNED
FOR
tonishing rehabilitation
the former
Soviet
Loesby,
chief over
executive
of Canasmall they could befrom
put in theEurope
base- areand
technologically
feasible. But
get- ess Rex
developed
and honed
the
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
ment of a house to larger models
that can be put into clusters of a dozen or so to give the output of a conventional power station.
The activity reflects nuclear power’s astonishing rehabilitation from
ting the public to accept the idea of
small nukes sprinkled around the
world will be a real battle.
Today there are 437 reactors in
operation, mostly in North America,
Europe and the former Soviet
past 50 years. Small reactors have
been used for decades in universities and hospitals for research. So
converting them to generate power
is not the leap it might seem, said
Rex Loesby, chief executive of Cana-
A DECADE AND
PROVIDE POWER
FOR 20,000 PEOPLE
from accidents at nuclear plants or
uranium mines in the past 40 years.
That compares with 6,400 fatalities
in coal power stations and mines.
Because of the lack of controls and
infrastructure at Chernobyl, it is not
counted in these statistics.
Most of the small models envisaged are essentially boxes of uranium that have been denuded of all
but a few parts. Aside from radioactive waste, the only product of a
nuclear reaction is extreme heat. In
common pressurised reactor
designs the heat is used to turn
water to steam, which powers a turbine. This would be above ground.
No mini reactor design has been
approved by nuclear regulators and
most companies haven’t even
Energy
spin-offsturn
turn fuel-hungry
fuel-hungry
nergy
spinoffs
Energy spinoffs turn fuel-hungry
atadata
centres
hot
properties
centresinto
intohot
hot
properties
data
centres
into
properties
1of the heat from its new Paris data centre
That has now fallen to half as
much.
Telecity estimates that Con-
White roof
reflects solar rays
White roof
reflects solar rays
of the heat from its new Paris data centre
land, chief operating officer of
WHEN
Telecity
planning
Telecity.its third internet
ning its third
internetbegan
data cenInoperating
Amsterdam,
theitexcess
tre
incentre
Paris,
one
of the
first
in Paris,
onechief
of the
first things
did
land,
officer
of
N Telecitydata
began
planthings
itlook
did was
look for energy is used to warm the
was
todata
for to
partners.
Telecity.office block where the group
ts third internet
cenpartners.
addition
to finding
customers
and
hiring
In
excess
Paris, one In
ofInaddition
the
first
has
its regionalthe
headquarters,
to finding
cus-Amsterdam,
and
also to heat
the waterthe
supandbuild
hiring
a energy
firm
to is
atomers
firm
to
facility,
it used
wanted
to
tosomeone
warm
s it did was
to look
for the
build the facility, it wanted ply of a hospital.
office
where
group
ers.
take
thetocentre’s
waste
product—heat.
someone
take the biggest
centre’s block
In Paris,
it wasthe
harder
to find
productboom
—
heat.its
aled
partner.
“Wegrowth
looked but
has
headquarters,
addition tobiggest
finding
cusThewaste
internet
hasregional
to huge
in
Theainternet
boom
has
ledalso
to couldn’t
find
anyone
who
was
and
to
heat
the
water
suprs and hiring
firm
to services
demand
forinthe
data
centres.
are
huge growth
demand
for the ofreasonably
close,”They
said Coupthe facility,
it
wanted
plyThey
of ahouse
hospital.
services
of warehouses
data centres.
land. In
theafter
end, Telecity
like
giant
that
row
row ofstruck
the
are
like centre’s
giant
warehouses
that
anthe
agreement
with
the
one to takecomputer
the
In
Paris,
it digital
was harder
toFrench
find
servers
that
power
economy.
house
row
after
row
of
the
comnational
agronomic
institute
t waste product
— heat.
partner.
“We
looked
butto
The
growth
ofadata
consequences
puter
servers
that power
thecentres
build ahas
greenhouse
alongside
internet boom
has
led
to
couldn’t
find
anyone
who
was
digital
datahuge
centre.amounts of
for
theeconomy.
environment. Theythe
use
The growth
of data reasonably
centres
The
500 square
“cligrowth in demand
foroften
the
close,”
saidmetre
Coupelectricity,
consuming
as
much
as arboretum”,
a small town.
has
consequences
for
the
envimate
change
heates of data centres.
They
land.
In
the
end,
Telecity
struck
ronment.
Theydo
usethey
huge need
ed to at
least 10C
all year round,
Not only
large
amounts
of
ke giant warehouses
anoften
agreement
with
the French
amounts of that
electricity,
will create
the climate
expected
energy
tocomservers,
they
need
just as
consuming
aspower
much astheir
a small
around
the Mediterranean
row after row
of the
national
agronomic
institute
toin
town.
2050.down.
It will allow
scientists
much
energy
to cool
them
That
alwaysto
servers that
power
the
build
a greenhouse
alongside
Not
only
do
they
need
large
study
how
plants
adapt
to
glothe question:power
what
happens
to the hot air
l economy. raises
data bal
centre.
amounts of energy tothe
warming.
is
pumped
out just
of
these
their
servers,
they need
as 500facilities?
The
development
also
e growth ofthat
data
centres
The
square
metrehas“clienergy
cool them
helped to
runInthe
Paris, to
Telecity
has come
upcheer
withupa the
novel
onsequencesmuch
for
mate
heatdown.
Thatenvialways raises
thechange
down arboretum”,
area of Aubervilliers,
solution.
Its happens
Condorcet
centre,
due
toround,
open
ent. They
use what
huge
edtototheatdata
least
10C
year
question:
north
of theall
city
centre,
where
hot air
thatoften
isatpumped
out
of Condorcet
constructthis
month
a costwill
of £43m,
will
behas
thebeen
first
in the
nts of electricity,
create
the climate
expected
these facilities?
ed on the site of a former Citming as much
small
around
the
Mediterranean
world
toa be
built has
with
a greenhouse
next door. in
In as
Paris,
Telecity
come
roën factory.
2050.ItsIt
will
scientists
to
up with
novel solution.
Theallow
energy
efficiency
of data
“Oura initial
thought
process
is always,
is there
data
centre,study
due tocan
centres
has adapt
improved
only do they
need
large
how
plants
to but
glo-a
aCondorcet
way
the
excess
heat
be
used
somewhere
open this month at a cost of great deal more could be done.
nts of energy
power
bal
near
by,”
Rob
Coupland,
operating
£43m,to
will
besaid
the first
in warming.
the
Couplandchief
estimated
that two
servers, they
need
just
aswith a greenThe development
hastwice
alsoas
world
to of
be
built
decades ago it took
officer
Telecity.
nextthem
door.
much
energyup
to cool
the
cenenergy tohouse
cool
helped
to
cheer
the
runIn
Amsterdam,
the
excess
energy
is
used
to
“Our initial thought process tres as it did to power them.
. That always
raises
the
down
area
of
Aubervilliers,
is
always,
is
there
a
way
the
That
has
now
fallen
to
half
warm the office block where the group has itsas
on: what happens
the
north
the city
centre, where
excess heattocan
be used
some- of much.
regional
headquarters,
to estimates
heat thethat
water
where nearout
by,” of
said Rob
Coup-and also
Telecity
Conr that is pumped
Condorcet
has been
constructsupply of a hospital.
facilities?
ed on the site of a former CitParis,
Paris, TelecityInhas
comeit was
roënharder
factory.to find a partner.
looked
find
anyoneof who
th a novel“We
solution.
Its but couldn’t
The energy
efficiency
data
was reasonably
thea
orcet data centre,
due to close,”
centressaid
hasCoupland.
improvedInbut
end,
the
this month
at aTelecity
cost of struck
great an
dealagreement
more couldwith
be done.
French
institute tothat
build
a
will be the
first national
in the agronomic
Coupland estimated
two
alongside
the data
to be builtgreenhouse
with a greendecades
ago centre.
it took twice as
change
next door. The 500 square
muchmetre
energy“climate
to cool the
cenur initial thought
process
tres
asleast
it did
toall
power
them.
arboretum”,
heated
to at
10C
year round,
ways, is there a way the
s heat can be used somenear by,” said Rob Coup-
has developed a system to get rid
1 Telecity
Telecity has developed a system to get rid
Greenhouses
Greenhouses
Condorcet
data centre
Condorcet
Aubervilliers
data centre
Aubervilliers
2 Instead of releasing it into the
atmosphere, it will be pumped
next door to heat a greenhouse
Heat
WHEN Telecity began plan-
Greenhouse
gases gases
Greenhouse
Heat
aste heat
isheat
being
diverted
Waste
is being
diverted
into
homes,
offices
and
evenaa
o homes, offices and even
greenhouse. By James Ashton
eenhouse. By James Ashton
“Times+ works p
busy schedule.”
Air supply
Less power needed
1990
200%
Condorcet
will save
2,500
tonnes
of CO2
Of course, that doesn’t solve
dorcet will save the equivalent
of 2,500 tonnes of carbon diox- the problem of where the waste
Instead
of
releasing
into the
heat
should
go. Julian Frost,
ide each
year
thanks
to
its
ener2 design. There will headit of
technology, media and
gy-efficientatmosphere,
it will be pumped
be external air coolers and the telecoms at the accountancy
next
door to
heat firm
a greenhouse
BDO, predicted more partroof will have
a reflective
white
coating to stop the sun heating nerships.
“Given the density of data
up the building.
Air supply
“
Edwin Jones, Times+ memb
at the Saatchi Gallery, King’
Less power needed
2010
50%
The proportion of energy
to cool a data centre
compared with the
amount to power one
Condorcet
will save
2013, Nuscale has alread
its safety analysis and
nical data to the US Nu
latory Commission for a
For all of them, gain
ance will be an uphill
cially as the threat fro
remains such a concer
Lacey of the World Nuc
tion dismisses the wor
tor-grade material has
used for weapons. It is
gamma-emitters so th
guys would be zapped
he said. “Unless they
tonnes of insulation m
industrial-size plants, t
they could take one of
off the back of a truck an
weapon is inconceivabl
1990
200%
2010
50%
centres in highly populated
The proportion of energy
2,500
business areas, the use of such
Times+
and Th
exclusiv
will brin
and sav
Annual
to cool a data centre
centres
to heat office blocks
tonnes
but you
could become reality,” hecompared
said.
with the
CO2also give companies
“Itof
would
with ou
amount
to
power
one
and data centres alike the
at time
opportunity to improve their
green credentials.”
Telecity is not alone in comwill create
the the
climate
expected around
thethat
where
the
waste
heat
go. Julian
Frost,
centres
in highly
populated
Of course,
doesn’t
solve
dorcet
will save
equivalent
ing
up with
new
ideas
to should
improve
energy
efficiency.
In media
Mediterranean
will allow
headthe
ofwaste
technology,
and
at
business
areas,
the telecoms
use of such
thescientists
problemto
of where
of
2,500 tonnes in
of 2050.
carbonIt dioxthe heat from huncentres
to heat
office blocks
heat should go.Helsinki,
Julian
ide
each
year
thanks
to its
study
how
plants
adapt
to energlobal warming.
the
accountancy
firm BDO,
predicted
more
dreds
of Frost,
servers located
Only in
head
of technology,
media
and could
gy-efficient
design. There
will
the Uspenski
cathe- become reality,” he said.
The development
has also
helped
to cheer
up beneath
partnerships.
SHIPPING containers may be essential to global
is being channelled
Try Tim
“Itinto
would
alsocentres
give companies
accountancy
be
airarea
coolers
and the telecoms
theexternal
rundown
of Aubervilliers,
north of at
thethedral
“Given
the
density
of
data
in
highly
commerce
but they
are not environmentally
the local area’s heating netweeks
and
data
centres
alike
the
firm
BDO,
more
partroof
willfriendly.
have
a reflective
white
They
are heavy and
take been
up the
same
spacepredicted
city centre,
where
Condorcet
has
constructed
populated
business
areas,
the
use
of
such
centres
work. The project, managed by
whether
empty
full.heating
Cargoshell, a Dutch
firm,
opportunity
to improve
their
nerships.
coating
to stop
the or
sun
Helsingin
will
pro-could become
on the site
of a former
Citroën
factory.
to heat Energia,
office blocks
reality,”
he
has designed
a collapsible
model
made of lighter
duce enough
to heat
500 credentials.”
green
“Given
the
density
of energy
data
upmaterials
the
building.
that can beefficiency
flat-packed. One
transport has houses.
The energy
of lorry
datacancentres
said. “It
would also
give companies and data
Telecity is not
in comthree or four rather than one, possibly saving millions of
Coupland alike
said that
improved
but a great deal more could be done.
centres
thegreenopportunity
to isalone
improve
their
Times+
only available in mainland
UK, excluding the Channel
gallons of fuel and the emissions that go with them.
ing up with new ideas to
houses could be built alongside
Coupland estimated that two decades ago it took future
green
credentials.”
developments. improve energy efficiency. In
GREEN IDEA
twice as much energy to cool the centres as it did to
Telecity is not alone in coming up with new
Helsinki, the heat from hunpower them. That has now fallen to half as much.
ideas to improvedreds
energy of
efficiency.
serversIn Helsinki,
located
Telecity estimates that Condorcet will save
the heat from hundreds
of servers
located beneath
beneath
the Uspenski
cathethe equivalent
of 2,500containers
tonnes of carbon
Uspenski cathedral
beingchannelled
channelledinto
into
SHIPPING
may be dioxide
essential tothe
global
dral is isbeing
butenergy-efficient
they are not environmentally
each year commerce
thanks to its
design.
the local area’s the
heating
The project,
localnetwork.
area’s heating
netTheyair
arecoolers
heavy and
the same
space by Helsingin
There will friendly.
be external
andtake
theup
roof
managed
Energia,
produce
work. The
project,will
managed
by
empty
or full.
Cargoshell,
Dutchenough
firm, energy toHelsingin
will have awhether
reflective
white
coating
to stop athe
heat 500 houses.
Energia, will proa collapsible model made of lighter
sun heatinghas
updesigned
the building.
Coupland said
that
greenhouses
be
duce
enough
energy tocould
heat 500
materials
be flat-packed.
lorry of
can transport
houses.
Of course,that
thatcan
doesn’t
solve the One
problem
built alongside future
developments.
three or four rather than one, possibly saving millions of
Coupland said that greengallons of fuel and the emissions that go with them.
houses could be built alongside
GREEN IDEA
future developments.
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