Small modular reactor (SMR) in commercial operation
Reactor nuclear modular pequeño (SMR) en operación comercial
- Date
- 2023 · confidence medium
- Place
- Shidao Bay, Shandong, China (HTR-PM, 2023); Akademik Lomonosov, Pevek, Russia (floating, 2020)
- Credited to
- China Huaneng and Tsinghua University (HTR-PM high-temperature gas-cooled reactor); Rosatom (floating plant)
- Field
- Matter & energy
What it is
Compact, mass-produced reactors with passive safety, designed to make nuclear construction cheaper and faster. China's HTR-PM began commercial operation in December 2023.
NuScale and other Western designs were still not in commercial operation as of 2026.
What it led to
- The nuclear renaissance linked to the electricity demand of AI data centres
- Technology companies' deals with nuclear suppliers (Microsoft, Google, Amazon)
- The debate over real costs compared with large reactors
Built on
- Civil nuclear power plant1954-1957
- Nuclear-powered submarine (USS Nautilus)1954
- nuclear submarine
- pebble-bed reactors
Made possible
- data centres with dedicated nuclear power
- microreactors