There is a very interesting article in The Australian newspaper regarding the work that Lockheed Martin the US Defence contractor is doing with small nuclear fusion reactors.
What used to be the stuff of science fiction appears to be getting closer to reality – although the Australian newspaper article notes there are still many hurdles to be overcome. The video is well worth watching and thinking about.
So, what if this technology could be deployed cost-effectively and with risks adequately managed within the next 20-30 years?
This becomes a question for infrastructure asset management experts to consider – as we are routinely building and renewing/replacing infrastructure with 50-100 year plus lives.
We are building infrastructure right now for a future that may include small nuclear fusion reactors.
This type of question and analysis falls into the future demand analysis component of infrastructure management planning.
Thinking about the possibility of small nuclear fusion reactors the size of a large truck, that were available for commercial application and affordable, what could we predict:
- Being ‘clean’ and small power generation would be located as close as possible to the source – impact, a lot less requirement for cross country power transmission lines from distant power sources
- Dependant on the installed cost per gigawatt we could foresee the decommissioning of multiple old, polluting, and newer expensive energy plants i.e. potentially oil, coal, nuclear fission, solar, and wind plants
- As noted in the video presentation – conversion of gas-fired power stations to fusion is highly likely
- There would be major subsequent impacts on the use, pricing and surplus of coal, gas, and oil – as a lot of demand for these commodities is dedicated to power generation
- It is likely that major new efficient, clean, electrical energy would spur the conversion of other industrial processes from coal and gas – with flow-on effects on the need to haul coal, and pipe oil and gas to sites
- It is likely that this development would accelerate the move to plug-in, battery-powered, and rapid charge electrical vehicles – which will ultimately require a change road use charging models from gasoline tax based charging to lane/distance-based charging or some other model
- It is likely shipping and air transport would convert to this energy source, again with subsequent reductions in the use of oil-based fuels, and the subsequent reduction in the need for fuel pipelines and fuel hauling
- The widespread application of such reactors in the longer term as to costs lower, and energy is more abundantly available will create major structural economic shifts – there will be infrastructure impacts, but they are harder to predict
- Water Desalination plants become much more viable and cost-effective if a lot of energy is available, so coastal areas with water shortages (think California) could see the solving of the water issues by fusion reactor driven water desalination. This opens up additional city population, agriculture, and food production economic activity
Much economic activity and prosperity are predicated on the availability of energy, and small nuclear fusion reactors would provide the basis for a major change in energy availability.
The subsequent effects for infrastructure and infrastructure asset management would be profound and widespread, particularly in the oil, gas, energy generation and energy distribution industries.
Transportation is also likely to see a range of effects with the much wider use of electrically powered vehicles, changes in demand patterns, and changes needed in gasoline-based taxation models.
In summary, the future is not likely to look like the past. The questions…
Is your infrastructure positioned and ready for the future?
Are you building the right infrastructure for the future?
VIDEO SOURCE: Compact Nuclear Fusion by The Australian
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