The U.S. Department of Energy scientists working out of Los Alamos, New Mexico, say the Hyperion Power Module will be factory-sealed, contain no weapons-grade material and will be nearly impossible to break into because it will be encased in concrete and buried underground.
The reactors will use a chemical reaction in uranium hydride to create heat, which is transfered to the surface to power steam turbines.
The technology is not water-cooled and cannot melt down, according to the firm that has licensed the technology.
New Mexico based Hyperion Power Generation Co. says the unit costs about $25 million, but monthly power fees would be only about $250 per home when divided among the 10,000 households it could serve.
The units must be refuled every 7 to 10 years, but the company says used fuel, about the size of a softball, is a “good candidate” for reprocessing. About 4,000 units are expected to be installed between 2013 and 2023.