Deployment of small modular reactors in the European Union

Abstract

This paper was written after the beginning of the 2022 energy and security crisis in Europe, which forced the national state governments as well as the European Union (EU) to reexamine environmental and energy strategies. The paper focuses on the role that small modular reactors (SMRs) may play as a part of a medium and long-term solution to this unprecedented situation. The history of EU climate policies and the current energy situation in the EU is broadly examined. The paper explores the potential energy, national security, and environmental benefits of nuclear power, along with its possible contribution to a net-zero economy. The main focus of the study, involving discussions with experts in the United States (US), was on the development of SMR-specific regulations, as well as the progress of SMR deployment projects in the US. The discussion explores SMR deployment challenges and potential solutions, in terms of policy recommendations applicable for the EU and its member states, in case a rapid SMR deployment becomes politically desirable.