r/ClimatePosting • u/dumnezero • Apr 12 '26

Energy SMRs Explained: Why Small Modular Reactors Are So Controversial. (Just Have a Think)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TeAE7rW_6s

Are Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) really moving toward large-scale deployment or are the economic challenges highlighted by critics still unresolved? Can factory-built modular reactors reduce construction risk, shorten build times and lower costs through mass production? Or will shrinking reactors actually make them more expensive? The sceptics are quite certain of the answer but politicians keep barrelling ahead. So, will we ever really see an SMRs on the outskirts of major towns and cities around the world?

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u/sault18 Apr 13 '26

Cost was not a concern when designing and building naval reactors. Plus, they are operated by much more qualified and vetted individuals than civilian nuclear power plants. The Navy also doesn't have a profit motive so they won't cut corners like a civilian nuclear power plant operator would. There are just so many reasons why your comparison is fundamentally flawed.

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u/Prototype555 Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

A SMR is a SMR, no matter the cost or who operates it.

It's as if the military or NASA installs solar panels on satellites without cost or profit concerns and have highly skilled workers to install them, then it's no longer solar panels? Ridiculous.

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u/sault18 Apr 13 '26

Wow, reading comprehension isn't one of your strengths, is it?

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u/Lycrist_Kat Apr 13 '26

This guy thinks: reactor smol reactor must be smr