Developers of small modular reactors hope their time has come
War, climate worries and oil prices make nuclear power attractive
NUCLEAR POWER has never quite lived up to its promise. Reactors have proved much more expensive than hoped. Accidents and leaks have given it a reputation for being risky despite its zero-carbon credentials. (Attempts to point out that coal-fired power kills far more people than the nuclear variety have failed to convince many voters.) Nuclear’s share of the world’s electricity production fell from 17.5% in 1996 to 10.1% in 2020.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Pint-sized power stations”
From the March 26th 2022 edition
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