Rapid reaction: small factory-built nuclear reactors could be delivered by lorry

UK engineers are in the vanguard of efforts to develop compact nuclear reactors, otherwise known as small modular reactors. Stuart Nathan reports

Even before the first kilogram of concrete has been poured, Hinkley Point C may be among the last of a kind. Large nuclear reactors, producing electricity on a gigawatt scale, have dominated the sector for years, but their size and complexity are now combining to put their cost beyond the means of most countries.

A new nuclear paradigm, which seems to defy the logic that has dictated increasing the size of power stations, is being tipped to take over. Small modular reactors (SMRs), with generating capacities of up to 500MW of electricity (MWe), are increasingly seen by governments and the nuclear sector as a better option for reducing costs, and unlocking the potential of nuclear for new markets. SMRs can be built in factories and assembled on site rather than having to be constructed as costly one-offs, and this factor, combined with their more frugal use of materials, is seen as key to bringing down the cost. It also allows for a more distributed energy generation model that could be attractive in regions with remote communities and distribution networks not geared to handling large amounts of electricity.