I assume the intent is to have a bunch of them replacing the boilers in a large coal plant. Capex and security wise it seems pretty good, and I'd expect capacity factors going on 100% for the heat generating part as it's incredibly simple and you just swap the whole thing once a decade.
But it's nuclear so there's always a scam if you look at the other hand instead of where they're directing your attention.
The card in the other hand today is it uses TRISO fuel. This produces >10x the high level waste which can't be reprocessed. It uses twice as much uranium, triple the enrichment (at levels not possible with most current enrichment facilities). And it is fabricated using a process that is estimated to cost anywhere from $40 to $600 per MWh.
More than likely it also needs a much higher quantity of hafnium or iridium or silver for control rods as well, and odds are you can't make the heat pipes out of non-exotic materials.
But it's nuclear so there's always a scam if you look at the other hand instead of where they're directing your attention.
The card in the other hand today is it uses TRISO fuel. This produces >10x the high level waste which can't be reprocessed. It uses twice as much uranium, triple the enrichment (at levels not possible with most current enrichment facilities). And it is fabricated using a process that is estimated to cost anywhere from $40 to $600 per MWh.
More than likely it also needs a much higher quantity of hafnium or iridium or silver for control rods as well, and odds are you can't make the heat pipes out of non-exotic materials.