As I have written, nuclear is an energy source that is extremely friendly to the environment and needs to be given serious consideration in the NewEnergy2040 initiative primarily in the interest of improved technology. I also noted that past and even current designs have challenges, not the least of which, is high cost and irrational resistance from nuclear opponents. Further, as I have written, in my view the past approach to nuclear power may not have been optimal. In that, I question for example, did we in fact employ the best technology; or in our zeal for size, did our power plants get too big to the point of over complicating design, construction and operation?
With that, I note with great enthusiasm that the the concept of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) seems to be picking up steam. Even companies that were previously not major participants in nuclear power production such as Rolls- Royce (Rolls-Royce plans to build up to 15 mini nuclear reactors in Britain; New Atlas, David Szondy, January 26,2020) plan to get into the act. SMR designs go to the very heart of the concerns I’ve had with earlier generation nuclear power. SMRs are smaller (e.g., 300 to 400 megawatts) making them much simpler and easier to site: they are modular and much easier to construct; the modules are built in a factory environment resulting in lower cost and better quality; and they incorporate many inherent safety features. The SMR movement in nuclear power is indeed very exciting and one to keep an eye on.