Home Tech Weatherwatch: Could small nuclear reactors help curb extreme weather?

Weatherwatch: Could small nuclear reactors help curb extreme weather?

0 comments
Weatherwatch: Could small nuclear reactors help curb extreme weather?

VViolent weather events have been at the top of the news agenda for weeks, with scientists and fact-based news organizations attributing their increased severity to climate breakdown. All the scientists consulted have stressed the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

At the same time, there are predictions about artificial intelligence and data centers that urgently need large amounts of new sources of electricity to keep them running. Small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) have been touted as the green solution. Reports suggest that SMRs are just around the corner and will be operational in the 2030s. Google first ordered seven, followed by Amazon, Microsoft and Goal each one asks for more.

A digital visualization of the small modular nuclear reactor designed by Rolls-Royce SMR. Photography: Rolls-Royce SMR

With billions of dollars on offer, many established and new nuclear companies are getting in on the action. More than 90 different SMR designs are marketed worldwide. Many governments, including the UK, are pouring money into design competitions and other ways to incentivize development.

There is a credibility gap in all of this. None of the reactor designs have left the drawing board, no prototypes have been built or safety checks initiated, and costs are optimistic guesses at best. SMRs may be successful, but let Big Tech gamble with their spare billions while the rest of us build cheap renewables that we know work.

You may also like