Westinghouse, EDF to Study How Accident-Tolerant Nuclear Fuel Can Best Be Utilized
Although nuclear energy is often seen as a dangerous energy source, especially in the wake of the Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear disasters, the chances of a nuclear reactor accident happening are astronomically low. In the decades since more than two dozen countries have begun using nuclear energy, these have been the only two major incidents, underlying the low risk levels associated with nuclear reactors. The enhanced safety is partly due to advancements in technology that have made it possible to design components that minimize accident risk while maximizing response times. Accident-tolerant fuel, which refers to new fuel pellet and cladding…