Small modular reactors (SMRs) would help Ireland to meet rising electricity demand and energy security, the London-based Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) has said in evidence to a parliamentary inquiry.

The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly opened the inquiry in January to look at the role of nuclear power generation in long-term energy security. It called for submissions looking at the advantages of nuclear, its environmental impact, and the potential for cooperation between the UK and Ireland.

The assembly was established in 1990* as a link between the parliaments of the UK and Ireland to promote cooperation between the countries.

Ireland has no nuclear research reactors or commercial nuclear power plants. The country prohibits nuclear power generation under current legislation, although it engages in nuclear fusion research, such as the Iter project, via the National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology at Dublin City University.