A British parliamentary committee on Wednesday will endorse small modular nuclear reactors, which some view as the perfect answer to the energy needs of the future.
While technology for the 300-megawatt or smaller power plants is in development, some see SMRs as a viable option for nuclear power that is carbon emissions free and yet avoids the high construction costs and some of the political resistance presented by large nuclear power plants that cost billions of dollars to build.
Parliament's cross-party Energy and Climate Change Committee, having reviewed the option of modular construction of nuclear plants, has concluded that a “a sustained period of collaboration between government and industry,” will be required to put SMRs into operation in Britain.
If that is done, the small modular plants built at existing nuclear facilities could play a “key role in delivering low-carbon energy and lower upfront capital costs compared to large, conventional nuclear reactors,” said committee chairman Tim Yeo.
Yeo also noted that the commercial aspects of moving forward with small reactors was “unclear.” He also said the government should endorse SMR development at existing nuclear plants, where there would be smaller additional costs and local workforces already familiar with nuclear power.