REACTOR DESIGN | MAKING SMRs COMMERCIAL
Critical service in SMR development
There is considerable interest in the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) market but, as it stands, no design has yet become commercially available.
What are the key points needed to unlock the technology’s great promise? By Luc Todo, President of Global Strategic Projects in Nuclear for IMI
NUCLEAR POWER NO LONGER HAS an image problem. The negative sentiment that has driven its decline since the 1990s is changing and many states, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, are now looking to introduce or expand capacity. In 1996, nuclear accounted for 17% of global energy
production. Today, that figure is around 10%, but the direction of travel is clear. More than 50 reactors are under construction worldwide, mostly in China and India, while other countries have reversed planned nuclear phase-outs. Japan, for instance, is bringing nine reactors back online, with 30 due to restart by 2030. These changes reflect a period of instability. Energy
access and security of supply have become major concerns, with some nations having to rethink medium- to long-term strategy. This is a problem because stability is necessary to limit disruption as economies transition from fossil fuels
to low or zero-carbon energy sources, not least those that introduce their own degree of intermittency, such as wind and solar.
Given this situation, it’s unsurprising to see attention
returning to nuclear as the intermediary. It’s safe, ‘pilotable’, cost-effective when deployed correctly and, most importantly, zero-carbon. Granted, there is a certain irony in returning to a technology pioneered in the last century when many seem fixed on ‘future’ means of power production. However, the benefits offered by Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) – the industry’s most promising concept – are compelling. Reduced capital costs, grid balancing, and deep carbon
reductions are just some of the prizes SMRs offer. This stimulates huge demand and an influx of investment from governments, investors and R&D departments from some of the industry’s most recognisable names. There are also a large number of new entries to the market backed by VCs
Above: While relatively small features within the context of an overall build, valves are critical for keeping certain SMR designs functioning within ideal parameters
38 | December 2023 |
www.neimagazine.com
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