We all know AI (artificial intelligence) is advancing—but right alongside it we will also see the infrastructure advance as well. We will need to build data centers fast and furious if we want to keep up with all the advancing technology—and we will need energy to power everything. Enter SMRs (small modular reactors), which offer cleaner, more reliable power that can support industries, data centers, remote grids, and more.
The Nuclear Industry Assn., suggests nuclear is the only source of clean energy that is available all the time and it has saved the United Kingdom more carbon emissions than any other power source—something to the tune of 2.3 billion tons.
The NEA (Nuclear Energy Agency) suggests 51 SMR designs are in pre-licensing or licensing across 15 countries and there has been an 81% increase in designs that have secured funding. What’s more, seven designs are already operating or under construction. I must question how many people really know about these megaprojects? So, let’s go back to my original point.
What exactly are SMRs? They are reactors that are smaller in size (only hundreds of megawatts instead of more than 1,000 megawatts). They are modules that are often made in factories and shipped to sites. This means they are faster to build, lower in cost, and more flexible. Let’s take a closer look at a few examples from around the world.
The state of Delaware is currently exploring a new task force for nuclear power to determine whether small modular reactors might help meet the state’s escalating energy demands.
The task force was created by bipartisan legislation with the purpose of taking a deeper dive into whether the small modular reactor technology is right for Delaware. Keep in mind these are no one-size fits all solutions. Thus, this 25-member task force—comprised of lawmakers, regulators, businesspeople, and academics—is attempting to represent its citizens by examining areas of safety, cost, and power-producing capabilities, among other factors.
In the United Kingdom, Rolls-Royce SMR and BWXT, which produces steam generators for the nuclear energy industry, have signed an agreement, which includes development of a localization strategy to support future manufacturing and related activities in the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, and across Europe. The objective here is to maximize opportunities for local suppliers, as it relates to small modular reactors.
Rolls-Royce SMR will additionally host supplier days in both the United Kingdom and Czech Republic. The supplier-day events aim to update suppliers on the opportunities across critical categories, including pumps, valves, heat exchangers, tanks, vessels, turbine island, and aspects of civil engineering and construction.
Still, there are many hurdles that need be addressed for SMRs around the world including cost, licensing and regulation, supply-chain readiness, financing, and standardization, just to name a few. It will be interesting to see how the next few years unfold and how all of this continues to shake out. The desire to move in this direction is gaining a lot of momentum. Thus, time will tell how successful SMRs are at making their case to people that count the most—its customers. Let’s not be so confident, or arrogant to think these projects can move forward without community buy-in. As we all know, without community buy-in, projects stall and, in some cases, they crumble like a house of cards.
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