SMR, or small modular reactors
The World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE) takes place in Paris until November 30. More compact and capable of being mass-produced in factories, SMRs or small modular reactors promise an alternative to electricity production based on fossil fuels. EDF's Nuward is an example. VIDEOGRAPHIC
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00:00 An SMR, or small modular reactor, is a lower energy nuclear reactor.
00:16 About 70 SMR models are under development worldwide.
00:20 In France, EDF is completing the design phase of the NUAD.
00:24 Like the EPR, the NUAD is a pressurized water reactor.
00:27 With a power of 340 MW, it is composed of two reactors of 170 MW each, which is around
00:34 10 times less powerful than an EPR.
00:37 The innovation of the NUAD lies in the simplicity of its design, its compactness, and its manufacturing
00:43 the factory in the form of a standardized module.
00:46 Reactors installed in their metal containment enclosure will arrive finished in the installation
00:50 area to be immersed in a pool or a cube of water that serves as an independent cooling
00:55 reserve in the event of overheating of the core.
00:58 For better safety, the reactors are half buried.
01:02 The International Atomic Energy Agency believes SMRs offer a solution for producing low-carbon
01:06 electricity, replacing aging coal or oil-fired power stations.
01:13 Intended for export, NUAD could also allow the production of hydrogen or desalinate seawater.
01:19 Construction of the presentation model is scheduled to start in 2030, with the aim of
01:23 being operational 2035.
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