Small modular reactors (SMR) are suitable for the supply of electricity and process heat for industry and hydrogen production in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands, but the government must take the lead to make deployment a reality, according to a report.

The report, produced for the province by Belgium-based engineering and consultancy company Tractebel, explores the role of SMRs in making Zeeland’s industry “future-proof and sustainable”.

It says Zeeland, in the southwest of the Netherlands, is home to one of the largest industrial clusters in the country. But industry faces major challenges such as sustainability, rising energy prices and uncertainty about supply.