Show captionHide caption

Using nuclear power for mining could solve some of the problems often faced by miners in remote locations.

Nuclear mining

Could nuclear power be the key to a more sustainable and efficient way to mine in remote locations?

Text: Francis DignanPublished: 19 January 2018

Any remote mining operation requires a huge amount of power to run at optimum levels for extended periods of time. Now, as more parts of the world are being explored, the need to be able to power mines efficiently has increased.

By using small, modular nuclear power plants, a 20-year supply of energy for a mining project can be provided by just 2.4 cubic metres of nuclear fuel. If a mine were to use diesel fuel instead, it would need 50 million litres per year, so nuclear power has benefits in terms of both cost and logistics. How long before the mining industry starts looking to embrace these new small nuclear power technologies?