Nuclear power has undeniable strong argument in the fight agains climate change: low CO2 emissions, high energy density, and dispatchable. Nevertheless, most energy transition scenarios foresee a relatively low share of nuclear in the future energy mix. Indeed, delays and cost overruns have made nuclear less attractive, while renewables have enjoyed high deployment rates and falling costs. The share of nuclear energy in the global electricity mix has decreased from 17.5% in 1995 to about 10% in 2021.
The objective of the different SMR concepts is to re-dynamise the nuclear industry by reducing costs and construction times, while opening up new markets and applications.
This explainer aims at explaining this concept, present the state-of-the art and the possible perspectives.
