[C Tech Now] US-China-Russia SMR Race for Dominance... Europe Joins In

EU launches 'European SMR Industry Alliance' for SMR operation by 2030
EC acknowledges "SMR contribution to carbon neutrality"
UK adopts competitive approach for SMR introduction
China constructing 'Linglong One' aiming for 2026 completion
Russia operates offshore floating SMR

At the SMR 'Linglongyuan' construction site in China, the core module was installed on August 10, 2023. Image source: China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC)

As the role of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) is expected to become increasingly important in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, countries around the world have already entered a full-scale race to dominate the SMR market. While the United States, China, and Russia are competing for the title of ‘world’s first commercial SMR,’ Europe has also joined the fray.

The European Commission (EC) announced in its ‘2040 Emission Reduction Recommendations for Climate Neutrality by 2050’ released earlier this month that "to achieve the 2040 climate goals, partial reliance on SMRs will be necessary." Although European countries such as Germany have traditionally held negative views toward nuclear power, SMRs?recognized for enhanced safety compared to conventional large reactors?are now acknowledged as an important means of reducing carbon emissions. On this occasion, the EU announced the launch of the ‘European SMR Industry Alliance,’ a consortium aimed at operating the first SMR by 2030.

The EU’s move to foster the SMR industry also reflects a sense of urgency about potentially falling behind the United States. The U.S. is conducting SMR projects in Belgium and Italy and aims to build the first ‘American-made’ SMR in Romania and the Czech Republic by 2030.

The United Kingdom is also accelerating its SMR efforts. To this end, the UK government introduced a competitive selection process. In October last year, six companies were initially selected: Westinghouse, EDF, GE-Hitachi, Nuclear Energy, Holtec, NuScale Power, and Rolls-Royce. The final company will be chosen by this summer to receive support.

The most proactive country in SMR development is the United States. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as of 2022, over 80 small reactors are being developed worldwide, with 21 located in the U.S. The leading company in the U.S. is NuScale. In January 2023, NuScale became the first in the U.S. to receive design certification from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The company had planned to build its first SMR in Utah but the project was canceled due to economic feasibility issues. Domestic companies such as Doosan Enerbility and IBK have invested in NuScale and established strategic partnerships.

TerraPower, founded by Bill Gates, is developing the molten salt-based SMR called ‘Natrium’ in collaboration with GE-Hitachi. TerraPower plans to conduct demonstrations in the small city of Kemmerer, Wyoming. In South Korea, SK Inc. and SK Innovation invested $250 million in TerraPower in August 2022.

X-Energy is developing a high-temperature gas-cooled SMR, which uses helium as a coolant instead of water. Doosan Enerbility is participating as the main equipment manufacturer and designer in South Korea. The U.S. Department of Energy selected X-Energy and TerraPower in 2020 for support under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) to build next-generation demonstration reactors.

China is actively working to claim the title of ‘world’s first commercial SMR.’ The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) completed the assembly of the core module of the commercial SMR ‘Linglong One (ACP100)’ near the Changjiang nuclear power site in Hainan Province in August last year. The ACP100 is a pressurized water reactor type, with completion targeted for 2026.

Russia has been operating the world’s first floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, since 2020. Depending on perspective, this is also considered the world’s first commercial SMR. Alexey Likhachev, CEO of Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, stated in April last year that "dozens of countries have shown interest."