DoE pledges funds to design modular nuclear reactors

摘要

THE US Department of Energy (DoE) has announced a new funding scheme to help industry design small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) for commercial operation around 2025. Big is not always beautiful when it comes to investing in nuclear, as conventional 1,000 MW reactors have huge upfront capital costs compared to the likes of coal- and gas-fired power plants, and a history of costly construction delays. The DoE is gambling on SMRs to overcome these problems and provide new opportunities for nuclear to generate electricity for smaller electricity markets, industrial parks, and areas with limited supplies of water or space.