The European Commission is expected to unveil a new alliance on small modular reactors (SMRs) by next month, with the aim of deploying small nuclear projects across the continent by 2030. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. Data into nuclear energy: World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2023Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov points out that the world’s first floating nuclear power plant that began commercial operation in May 2020, is producing energy from two 35 MW(e) SMRs. Nuclear generation set to grow over next few yearsThe developments being touted for SMRs come as the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that by 2025, global nuclear generation is forecast to exceed its previous record set in 2021. “After completion, it is expected to achieve an annual power generation capacity of 1 billion kWh, which would meet the needs of about 526,000 households.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 27, 2024 18:03 UTC