Share with friends and circles of friends with wechat scanning QR code < / P > < p > < March 23. In recent weeks, some technology leaders in Silicon Valley have begun to frequently promote nuclear energy. Well known technology entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk and Bill Gates, as well as the most famous technical experts, believe that nuclear energy can not only reduce carbon emissions, but also free the world from the energy crisis < p > Tesla CEO musk wrote on personal social media that nuclear power is "crucial" and the radiation risk is exaggerated. Marc Andreessen, a venture capitalist, called for "building 1000 state-of-the-art nuclear power plants in the United States and Europe now." < p > billionaires including Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel have opened their wallets to support a new generation of nuclear power companies. So far, although no start-up developing reactors has produced nuclear energy products that can be commercialized, some people believe that the combined effect of technological progress and the urgency of abandoning fossil fuels may bring new catalysts to the development of this industry. Since the 1970s, the nuclear energy industry has been under regulatory pressure for most of the time < p > Josh freed works at third way, a public policy think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., specializing in climate and energy. "Without the investment and thinking of Silicon Valley bosses, we would not discuss nuclear energy innovation today," he said < p > according to pitchbook, a research firm, venture capitalists invested $34.5 billion in nuclear power start-ups last year, a record high, even more than the sum of the past decade. Both start-ups at a very early stage and more mature companies such as Commonwealth fusion systems and Helion energy have obtained investment. Both Commonwealth fusion systems and Helion energy raised $500 million or more in 2021. In the previous 10 years, on average, there were less than 10 transactions in the nuclear energy industry every year. Last year, the number of investments in the nuclear energy industry jumped to 28 < p > before this round of venture capital financing, the nuclear power industry experienced a cold reception for decades. Since the development of nuclear power technology in the 1950s, people have been worried about the safety of nuclear energy and waste storage. The nuclear power plant accidents in Sanli island of the United States, Chernobyl of the former Soviet Union and Fukushima of Japan have made many people oppose nuclear power technology. At the same time, compared with natural gas and other alternative energy sources, high development costs and regulatory barriers also make nuclear energy unattractive. The wazba nuclear power plant approved in 1973 is the last approved nuclear power plant project in the United States. The wazba nuclear power plant project encountered repeated delays and increasing costs, and it was not put into operation until 2016 < p > however, as concerns about climate change have intensified, the advantages of nuclear energy have become increasingly apparent. Like solar energy, nuclear energy does not produce carbon emissions; Unlike solar energy, nuclear energy can produce energy 24 hours a day, which is more reliable. Although building more nuclear reactors will not alleviate the current problem. After all, it will take years for a small and new design to be licensed, supporters say it may help avoid a future energy crisis < p > nuclear fission is a nuclear energy technology with a history of decades, which can capture the energy released when atoms split. Recent innovations in nuclear fission include better methods of storing nuclear waste and more advanced cooling systems, which means that new reactors can be smaller and more efficient. At the same time, many start-ups focusing on nuclear fusion technology have received more venture capital support and are entering the stage of scientific projects faster than previously expected and moving towards commercialization < p > nuclear fusion is a technology to capture the energy generated by the merger of atoms, but so far, the energy generated has never exceeded the actual energy required for nuclear reaction. Some start-ups believe they are gradually turning things around. "Silicon Valley has always been the foundation of the entire private nuclear fusion industry," said christofer Mowry, CEO of Vancouver based general fusion. Murray's company is supported by Amazon founder Bezos and others. Murray is also a board member of the fusion Industry Association, a non-profit industry organization. Venture capital has helped dozens of nuclear fusion start-ups mature, and the government has begun to participate, he said. Earlier this month, the U.S. Congress approved investment in a public-private partnership project to manufacture new nuclear fusion equipment, with a record amount in the industry < p > David Kirtley, who has implemented nuclear fusion projects at the U.S. Department of energy, founded a nuclear fusion startup called Helion in 2013. The next year, he joined y combinator, a Silicon Valley start-up incubator. Kotley said he learned to "rethink" the idea and make it more ambitious. At YC, "they don't talk about a one-year deadline," he said "Everything is next month and next week." < p > Helion has raised more than $570 million from former YC president Sam Altman, Mithril capital founded by well-known venture capitalist Thiel and Facebook co-founder Dustin moskovitz. As the chairman and major shareholder of Helion, Altman believes that nuclear fusion is the cleanest and cheapest energy and will change the world one day. "My communication with them is all about how to be faster," Altman said < p > Helion's goal is to demonstrate a fusion based power network in 2024, which means that the system generates more power than it consumes, and to build a commercial system in the 1920s. "I now think we should join y combinator five years earlier," kotley said. "We can go further." < p > in contrast, nuclear fission startups may have a more direct impact. TerraPower, founded and funded by Microsoft founder gates, can build smaller, cheaper and more efficient nuclear fission reactors than traditional water-cooled reactors using advanced cooling materials including molten chlorine and liquid sodium. Tara energy plans to cooperate with the U.S. Department of energy to build two reactors, and its first commercial reactor will be located in Wyoming. Tara energy last year ?
2023-03-22 10:04:52