New generation of nuclear plants can play ‘significant role’ in replacing fossil fuels
Europe needs to show a firm commitment to the development of small modular reactors as the bloc seeks to meet its goal of climate neutrality by 2050, a draft European Parliament committee report says.
The report, prepared for the committee on industry, research and energy, says SMRs represent a promising way for the EU to achieve its energy and climate objectives and offer “considerable opportunities” in terms of electricity production, industrial heat, hydrogen generation and district heating, a draft European Parliament committee report says.
It calls on the European Council to demonstrate a firm commitment to contributing to the successful development of SMRs in the EU and warns that the bloc could be left behind if it does not commit itself to the global race for leadership in the future SMR market.
The report underlines the need for a comprehensive strategy for the deployment of SMRs in the EU and stresses the need for an annual report by the European Commission assessing progress in the development of SMRs.
It says SMRs offer a lower initial capital investment, greater scalability and siting flexibility for locations unable to accommodate more traditional larger reactors. They now have the potential for enhanced safety and security compared to earlier designs.
No SMRs have been commercially operated, but more than 80 SMR designs are at different stages of development and deployment in 18 countries.
The EU has committed to reducing achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and SMRs “have the potential to play a significant role in replacing fossil fuels”, the report concludes.
The main challenge of SMR deployment is the uncertainty coming from the fact that designs are not yet at the advanced stage of maturity.
The scientific community still needs to test and prove the expected advantages. This affects the risk perception and limits the potential size of the market.
Another challenge would be establishment of a robust supply chain.
The report also says that to maximise the economic advantage of SMRs, it would be crucial to establish an almost global market for one design of reactor to be manufactured via mass production.
“That would require higher levels of regulatory harmonisation and market consolidation than exist at present.”
