Key Points
- Research suggests SMRs are advancing, with projects like China’s ACP100 set for 2026 and NuScale’s Romania project targeting 2029.
- It seems likely that SMRs will enhance energy flexibility, but challenges like high costs and regulatory hurdles remain.
- The evidence leans toward SMRs supporting decarbonization, though public perception and fuel supply issues are debated.
Recent Advancements in Nuclear Fission for Energy
Nuclear fission for energy has seen significant advancements, particularly with Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which are smaller, more flexible, and potentially cheaper to build than traditional large reactors. These can be factory-assembled and transported, making them suitable for remote areas and industrial applications. Key projects include China’s ACP100, due for completion in 2026, and NuScale’s Romania project, expected to achieve first power in 2029. Other developments include Holtec’s SMR-160, aiming for construction in the late 2020s, and TerraPower’s Natrium demonstration plant in Wyoming, with operations likely around 2028-2030.
Project Timelines and Practical Use Potential
SMRs offer modularity, scalability, and enhanced safety, supporting electricity generation, district heating, desalination, and industrial processes. They can complement renewables by providing baseload power, aiding decarbonization. However, timelines vary: China’s ACP100 is on track for 2026, while NuScale’s projects face delays, with Romania at 2029. The UK aims for SMR deployment in the 2030s, and TerraPower’s Natrium could be operational by 2030, offering unexpected potential for integrating with high-renewable grids.
Challenges and Breakthroughs
Challenges include regulatory hurdles, high initial costs, public skepticism, and fuel supply issues like HALEU availability. Breakthroughs include NuScale’s 2020 US NRC design certification, advancements in reactor designs (e.g., molten salt, gas-cooled), international collaboration, and private investments, such as TerraPower backed by Bill Gates. These advancements suggest a promising future, though controversy persists around cost and safety.
Recent Nuclear Fission Advancements for Energy
Nuclear fission for energy has undergone notable advancements, particularly with the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which are designed to be smaller, more flexible, and potentially more cost-effective than traditional large-scale nuclear power plants. SMRs can be manufactured in factories and transported to sites for assembly, making them suitable for a variety of applications, including remote locations with limited grid capacity, industrial processes, and integration with renewable energy systems. This survey note provides a comprehensive overview of recent projects, timelines, practical use potential, challenges, and breakthroughs, based on the latest available information as of March 27, 2025.
Project Timelines and Developments
Several SMR projects are underway globally, with varying timelines and stages of development. Below is a detailed breakdown of key projects:
NuScale Power:
NuScale, a leader in SMR technology, has faced setbacks with the cancellation of its Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) in Idaho in November 2023, due to insufficient subscription levels. However, the company continues to pursue other initiatives. Its project in Romania, in partnership with RoPower Nuclear, is planned for the former Doicești power plant site, with the first power expected in 2029, as per a recent profile (Power Technology – Romania NuScale SMR 2).
Additionally, NuScale has ongoing projects in Poland and potentially a new project in Idaho, though specific timelines for these remain unclear. The Romania project, a six-module VOYGR-6 plant, is significant as it could be the first commercial SMR in Europe, with a final investment decision expected around February 2026, based on recent updates (Data Center Dynamics – NuScale bullish on SMR nuclear prospects).
China’s ACP100:
China’s ACP100, a 100 MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR) SMR, is on track for completion in 2026, according to a 2023 report (Construction Briefing – Who is building small modular reactors). This project, developed by China National Nuclear Corporation, is already in advanced stages, highlighting China’s aggressive push toward SMR deployment.
Holtec’s SMR-160:
Holtec International is developing the SMR-160, a 160 MWe PWR modular reactor, with plans to start building by the late 2020s, likely operational in the early 2030s. The company has signed a deal with Hyundai for global supply, indicating strong international interest (Construction Briefing – Who is building small modular reactors).
TerraPower’s Natrium:
TerraPower, backed by Bill Gates, is advancing its Natrium reactor, a 345 MWe sodium fast reactor coupled with a molten salt energy storage system. The demonstration plant in Kemmerer, Wyoming, broke ground in June 2024, leveraging existing energy infrastructure near a retiring coal plant (Energy Communities – TerraPower Nuclear Plant). While specific operational dates are not fully detailed, it is expected to be operational around 2028-2030, based on a 5-7 year timeline from a 2020 DOE grant (TerraPower – Natrium). This project is notable for its integration with renewable-heavy grids, offering dispatchable power.
UK SMR Competition:
The UK, through Great British Nuclear, is running a competition to deploy SMRs, with finalists including GE-Hitachi, Holtec Britain, Rolls-Royce SMR, and Westinghouse Electric Co. The winner is expected to be announced in the coming months, with deployment targeted for the 2030s, aiming to boost nuclear generation to 24 GW by 2050 (Great British Nuclear – Three months into the year).
The global SMR project pipeline reached 22 GW in Q1 2024, a 65% increase since 2021, driven by countries like the US, Poland, Canada, the UK, and South Korea, according to a Wood Mackenzie report (Wood Mackenzie – Global nuclear SMR project pipeline). This expansion reflects growing interest, with policy support, such as the US Inflation Reduction Act providing a 30% Investment Tax Credit for advanced nuclear plants post-2025.
Practical Use Potential
SMRs offer significant practical use potential due to their design advantages:
Modularity and Scalability: SMRs can be factory-built and transported, reducing construction time and costs. They allow for incremental power additions, starting with a few modules and scaling up as needed, which is particularly useful for remote areas or growing energy demands (IAEA – What are Small Modular Reactors).
Enhanced Safety: Many SMR designs incorporate passive safety features, such as natural convection cooling, reducing the risk of accidents. This is evident in NuScale’s VOYGR design, which uses underground pools for cooling (NuScale Power – About Us).
Flexibility in Applications: SMRs can generate electricity, provide district heating, desalinate water, and supply industrial steam. For instance, they are targeted for decarbonizing heavy industries, such as hydrogen production and petroleum refining, as noted in a 2023 IAEA forum (IAEA – 2023 Scientific Forum).
Integration with Renewables: SMRs can provide baseload power to complement variable renewable sources like wind and solar. TerraPower’s Natrium, with its molten salt storage, can boost output to 500 MWe for over five hours, supporting peak demand (TerraPower – Natrium™ Reactor).
This flexibility makes SMRs a promising solution for energy security and climate goals, with over 80 designs in development worldwide, targeting markets beyond utilities to include tech companies and industrial users (World Economic Forum – Advanced nuclear technologies).
Challenges
Despite the potential, several challenges remain:
Regulatory Hurdles: SMRs must navigate complex licensing processes, which can be time-consuming and costly. NuScale’s regulatory approval process, costing half a billion dollars and involving 2 million pages of documentation, exemplifies this (MIT Technology Review – We were promised smaller nuclear reactors).
High Initial Costs: First-of-a-kind projects face high development and licensing costs, as seen with the cancellation of NuScale’s CFPP due to cost concerns. Utility regulators worry about cost spirals and supply chain constraints (Utility Dive – The collapse of NuScale’s project).
Public Perception: Nuclear energy still faces public skepticism due to safety concerns, despite improved designs. This is a significant barrier, especially in regions with historical nuclear incidents (Trellis – Advanced nuclear: A climate-tech comeback story).
Fuel Supply: Some SMR designs, like TerraPower’s Natrium, require high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which is not yet widely available, posing a supply chain challenge (World Nuclear News – NuScale marks SMR progress).
Breakthroughs
Several breakthroughs have propelled SMR development forward:
NuScale’s Design Certification: In August 2020, NuScale became the first SMR to receive a final safety evaluation report from the US NRC, a milestone for commercial deployment (Department of Energy – NuScale Power Design Certification Project). This certification was for a 50 MWe module, with an uprate to 77 MWe under review, expected to conclude by mid-2025 (Data Center Dynamics – NuScale bullish on SMR nuclear prospects).
Advancements in Reactor Designs: New designs, such as molten salt reactors (MSRs) and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs), offer improved safety and efficiency. For example, MSRs use thorium, potentially reducing waste, as discussed in a 2022 technical report (Polytechnique Insights – The latest technological advances in nuclear energy).
International Collaboration: Countries collaborate on SMR development and share knowledge and resources. The IAEA’s Technical Working Group on SMRs facilitates this, with coordinated research projects aiming for competitiveness (IAEA – Small modular reactors).
Private Sector Investment: Significant investments, such as TerraPower’s $1 billion in private funding and Bill Gates’ backing, drive innovation. This is evident in the Natrium project’s progress, with a $2 billion DOE cost-share (Energy Communities – TerraPower Nuclear Plant).
These breakthroughs suggest a promising future for SMRs, with the potential to meet growing energy demands and climate goals, though challenges like cost and public acceptance remain debated.
Comparative Table of SMR Projects
To organize the information, here is a table summarizing key SMR projects, their timelines, and expected capacities:
| Project | Location | Capacity (MWe) | Expected Timeline | Status/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NuScale Romania | Romania (Doicești) | 462 (6 modules) | First power 2029 | Final investment decision expected by Feb 2026 |
| China’s ACP100 | China | 100 | Completion 2026 | Advanced stages, PWR design |
| Holtec SMR-160 | Global (planned) | 160 | Late 2020s (build) | Hyundai deal for supply, early 2030s operation |
| TerraPower Natrium | Wyoming, USA | 345 | Operational 2028-2030 | Broke ground June 2024, demonstration plant |
| UK SMR Competition | UK | Varies | Deployment 2030s | Winners to be announced, aiming for 24 GW by 2050 |
This table highlights the diversity of SMR projects and their varying stages, underscoring the global push toward advanced nuclear energy.
In conclusion, while there have been setbacks, such as the cancellation of NuScale’s UAMPS project, the overall momentum for SMRs is positive, with several projects worldwide aiming for deployment in the late 2020s and early 2030s. These advancements hold promise for providing clean, reliable energy and helping to meet global climate goals, though ongoing challenges require careful management.