WEMO 2025 (complet) - Flipbook - Page 24
W E M O 202 5
O U T LO O K
Their modular design and small size should favor easier
industrialization. For instance a high proportion of components
could be preassembled in specialized factories reducing
on-site labor, costs and improving quality. Additionally,
their enhanced safety features, like passive cooling, should
https://www.nuscalepower.com/press-releases
https://www.terrapower.com/natrium/US Department Of Energy, Advanced Reactor
Demonstration Program (ARDP).
171
https://www.neimagazine.com/news/ontario-approves-darlington-bwrx-300-smr/
172
https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/
昀椀rst-smr-projects-selected-by-european-industrial-alliance
169
170
However, SMRs face disadvantages such as lack of economies
of scale compared to large reactors. There is still less
operational experience, and regulatory hurdles experience for
new designs. With dispersed SMRs sites, it will be more di昀케cult
to strictly control nuclear material to prevent proliferation and
leakages to the weapons industry. There may also be some
di昀케culties with public acceptance due to their multiple sites.
√ SMRs for heat generation can be promising. Worldwide
40% of energy is consumed for heat usages generating
50% of global emissions. Solutions exist to decarbonize
heat as second-generation modern biomass and
geothermal. However, their potential is limited in the
case of biomass and geographically concentrated in the
case of geothermal. Heat generation SMRs seem to be
promising as they are simple and have passive safety
features. They can de-carbonize urban heating networks
by providing low-carbon thermal energy173. Some
projects are coming out. In the Western world examples
can be found In France with Hexana174, Calogena175
and Jimmy176, in North America with NuScale Power177
(USA), Ultra Safe Nuclear MMR178 (USA/Canada) and
Westinghouse eVinci (USA).179
It is di昀케cult to calculate the SMRs LCOE (and compare it to
the large reactors LCOE) as it is a nascent technology with
many di昀昀erent designs. The inputs needed to calculate
the LCOE are presently largely based on projections and
are subject to change. The true cost will only become
clear as enough projects move from paper to reality.
Early projects carry signi昀椀cant risk as was seen with the 2024
Nuscale failure in Idaho. The project was abandoned by its
clients as the costs skyrocketed. Estimates are, that without
the IRA subsidy, the electricity cost would have amounted
to $129/ MWh. SMR costs will depend heavily on achieving
multiple deployments in one country or internationally,
enabling manufacturing e昀케ciencies and learning e昀昀ects.
https://www.euroheat.org/news/
small-modular-reactors-ready-to-use-technology-tailor-made-for-district-heating-networks
174
https://www.hexana.com/
175
https://www.calogena.com/en/smr-nucleaire-calogena-a-free-carbon-heat-generator/
176
https://www.jimmy-energy.eu/en/home
177
https://www.nuscalepower.com/
178
https://nanonuclearenergy.com/nano-nuclear-energy-enters-into-agreement-to-acquireultra-safe-nuclear-corp-s-patented-micro-modular-reactor-mmr-and-pylon-space-reactors-for-85-million-alo
179
https://westinghousenuclear.com/energy-systems/evinci-microreactor/
173
WEMO 2025
• Advantages and disadvantages of SMRs compared
to large reactors. Small Modular Reactors o昀昀er some
advantages over large nuclear reactors, including lower
upfront capital costs, potential shorter construction
times and 昀氀exibility to scale output by adding modules.
In addition, the supply chain is not ready as the factories
necessary to manufacture SMRs components and nuclear
fuel need to be 昀椀nanced and built.
lower accident risks. Moreover, their smaller capacity (up
to 600MW) makes them well adapted for smaller grids.
23
√ In the Western world SMRs are at best at the regulatory
approval stages: NuScale’s 77 MW received in May 2025
its design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission169, TerraPower (created by Bill Gates)
began Natrium167 construction through a public-private
partnership with the DOE.170 In May 2025, the Ontario
government gave the green light for the BWRX-300 SMR
that should be operational in 2030 and for four units
to be in operation by the middle of the next decade.171
Europe is behind. However, the European Commission
is actively promoting the development and deployment
of SMRs, through initiatives like the European Industrial
Alliance on SMRs.172
