Reply To: Peak Oil from Truth Out

[Joeviocoe]

If Beryllium electrodes need to be replaced at regular maintenance intervals in a production machine…. would their costs (energy and money) be high enough to consider the material as “fuel”?

What interval would a replacement electrode be needed?
Monthly?
For cleaning or refurbishment or complete replacement?
Would the electrodes be recycleable?
If recycleable, what percentage is recycled? (I assume 99% would be recycleable since Beryllium is not part of the reaction)

Worst case (assuming monthly replacement without recycling electrodes):
A 5MW reactor will produce 700 MWh of electricity each month, but consume 40 kg of Beryllium…
for 17.5 MWh
Fission gets 44 MWh electrical per kg of natural Uranium

Is this a problem we will have to face?