5. REP small and medium

5.1 Outlook

Almost as many small PWRs have been built for propulsion of submarines, aircraft carriers and icebreakers, as large PWR generators. However, these small reactors are too small to be directly transposed for onshore production, and plans for more powerful models designed for this purpose are struggling to find a market.

Surveys carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since the 1960s reveal a desire for access to civil nuclear power, expressed in a fairly large number of emerging countries [25].

The operation of high-power reactors is not compatible with the small electricity grids of these countries, unless they are linked to those of neighboring countries, where the loss of a unit could destabilize the...