Small Modular Reactor
A small modular reactor (SMR) is an emerging technology and a legally-defined class of nuclear reactors.
Contents
Definition
SMRs are an experimental design for nuclear reactors, intended to better scale to real power loads.
DOE defines this class of reactors as producing anywhere from tens to hundreds of megawatts.
It is expected that light water cooled SMR designs will be approved for use in the United States in late 2020s or 2030s. The U.S. government has subsidized research and development through the SMR Licensing Technical Support (LTS) program (2012), the U.S. Industry Opportunities for Advanced Nuclear Technology Development funding opportunity announcement (FOA) (2018), and the Advanced SMR R&D program (2019).
History
The first operational SMR is Akademik Lomonosov, of design KLT-40S, in Russia. It began operation in 2020.
The only other reactor is Shidao Bay, of design HTR-PM, in China, which began operation in 2023.
According to the IAEA in 2024, other SMRs are in varying stages of construction or licensing processes in Argentina, Canada, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States of America.