TAILWIND FOR REVIVAL | ADVANCED REACTORS
The report also emphasises the growing role of the
private sector, noting that in July 2023, OPG announced its collaboration with the provincial government to plan and license three additional SMRs, for a total of four SMRs at OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project. Earlier in January, OPG, GEH, SNC-Lavalin and Aecon signed the first commercial contract for a grid-scale SMR in North America. The six-year partnership seeks to finalise the construction of a BWRX-300 SMR at the Darlington site by the end of 2028, with plans to commence power supply to the grid in 2029. This comes in the wake of the Canadian Infrastructure Bank commitment of US$713m (C$970), announced in October 2022, to finance the first phase of OPG’s Darlington New Nuclear Project. In 2021, OPG selected GEH’s BWRX-300 SMR for the project. Kotak picks up on these developments: “It’s great to see
different vendor-utility or customer partnerships that are driving for clusters or multiples of reactor units that still reach the required output.” The report notes that Europe is also seeing both public
and private sector engagement, highlighting that the market is divided in its views on the role of nuclear energy in the future energy mix. Some countries, including Germany, Italy and Lithuania, have phased out nuclear power; Austria, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg and Portugal signed a joint declaration, opposing the inclusion of nuclear in the EU Green finance taxonomy. In contrast, France, the European leader in nuclear power, has brought together a ‘Nuclear Alliance’ consisting of 11 countries. This alliance will work towards strengthening cooperation in nuclear energy as an important component of Europe’s energy goals. In a bid to cement its leadership in civilian nuclear
energy, France, in 2022, announced its plans to build six new next-generation nuclear reactors by 2050, with a possibility of deploying an additional eight. This plan was catalysed by Parliament’s recent approval of the Government’s nuclear investment plan, allocating €52bn to the construction of new reactors. While the project work is yet to begin, EDF Energy plans to commission its first two facilities in 2035 and a third in 2040. France’s ambition to deploy its first SMR by 2030 contributes to the government vision for nuclear to account for more than 50% of the country’s electricity mix. The report further notes that in Poland, energy-intensive
companies such as Synthos and PKN Orlen, established a joint venture to deploy an SMR fleet, GEH’s BWRX-300. In addition, ENEA Group, one of the largest power companies in Poland, is collaborating with Last Energy to develop SMRs. Other countries, including UK, Romania and the Czech
Republic that have historically been dependent on coal to meet their energy needs, are increasingly turning to advanced nuclear technologies as a means of decarbonising their energy systems. “We’re seeing the private sector engage in Eastern
Europe, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, with high- wealth individuals exploring options with small and advanced reactors. Bill Gates’ TerraPower has shown what private investment can do to propel a new reactor design,” says Kotak. Kotak also points to a broader economic benefit to those nations that do successfully deploy advanced reactor technology: “Once that first of a kind small reactor is identified and can be commercially developed, there could be significant export potential for a market.” She adds: “The
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timeliness, limitations and opportunities of all clean energy resources – nuclear, CCUS, hydrogen, geothermal – need to be considered.”
Advanced reactor outlook The report says that the nuclear energy sector challenge is exacerbated by the imminent retirement of the current nuclear workforce. A multi-year, multi-unit build-up of nuclear reactors will require addressing the labour shortage at various stages, including education, recruitment for entry-level positions and the identification of highly skilled master tradespeople. “From a vendor developer perspective, business models
are set up with the intention to build more than one reactor, given the level of infrastructure, supply chain, manufacturing capabilities and people required. The repeatability is the USP. If the modular construction, factory build, and ability to just repeat orders isn’t taken up on, it could miss a key opportunity. The report notes that designs are planned for modules to be built at factories and then transported to the main reactor site, reducing the total construction time required. Microreactors take this concept a step further and are designed such that the entire reactor can be transported at once,” says Kotak. Nonetheless, Kotak is optimistic, she says: “Advanced
nuclear technology could play a pivotal role in the decarbonisation of our energy systems. I am positive because fundamentally, regardless of what design gets chosen, it has a role to play as a clean energy source, and to enable the pathway to net zero. I think, ultimately, we need to be reminded that all COP nations or signatories have all signed up to this to reduce emissions and to reach those net zero goals.” As Kotak concludes: “As the costs become more secure, the investment returns become more clear and that regulatory and policy structures are in place to give that confirmation of returns, I think we will see more private investment, as we’ve seen with other energy sources.” ■
Below: General Atomics is just one of a range of advanced reactors to feature passive safety systems Source: General Atomics
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