U.S. Investing in Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) / Nuclear Power - Economics, Design, & Industry

Date posted: 01/25/12

The US DOE announced a new funding initiative for manufacturing small modular nuclear reactors in the US. The objective of the draft Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to permit agreements with private industry to share costs on the design and licensing of small modular nuclear reactors. The draft FOA is a working document soliciting input from industry to promote leading edge design certification, licensing and engineering. At approximately one-third the size of nuclear power plants currently operating in the US, small modular reactors can be advantageous in diversifying safety and environmental risks. Many larger nuclear power plants have active safety features that require human interaction to function properly. Small modular nuclear reactors are often designed to employ passive safety features engineered to work on physical laws.