One small nuclear reactor matches a million solar panels
These factory-built reactors use ceramic-coated fuel particles that can survive temperatures hotter than lava, making a traditional meltdown physically impossible.
While traditional nuclear plants are massive infrastructure projects that take a decade to build, small modular reactors are being manufactured like airplanes in a factory. These units are roughly one-sixtieth the size of the Chernobyl reactor, allowing them to be shipped by truck and installed in just three years. Inside, they use pebble-bed technology where the fuel is packed into thousands of graphite spheres. Each sphere is protected by four layers of ceramic that trap 99.9% of radioactive waste even at 3600 degrees Fahrenheit.
There's more to this story — open the app to keep reading.