THERMAL SCIENCE
International Scientific Journal
Find this paper on
ANALYSIS OF SMALL MODULAR REACTORS
ABSTRACT
Nuclear energy is currently the only technology that has potential to expand at a large scale and efficiently replace fossil-burning power plants. However, for this to happen particularly in the countries with undeveloped nuclear infrastructure, several important issues need to be addressed: financial, technological, and regulatory risks; nuclear reactor safety and security; cost and duration of construction; secured fuel supply infrastructure; development of acceptable spent nuclear fuel disposal options and radioactive waste forms; non-proliferation and threat reduction; public perception, and long-term sustainability. The advanced Generation IV reactor concepts, particularly Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), are far from commercialization and deployment. A reasonable estimate is that for most of these advanced reactors real deployment might not happen before the end of 2030s due to issues with the HALEU fuel, testing and qualification of new fuel and advanced materials under extreme conditions, regulatory processes that are still not streamlined, as well as development of acceptable spent nuclear fuel disposal options and radioactive waste forms. In addition, these new reactor concepts need to demonstrate increased safety and security, and reduction of non-proliferation risks. Having this in mind, the question arises regarding the choices that the countries with undeveloped nuclear infrastructure should make if they would like to add nuclear power plants to their energy mixture. This paper will analyze several SMR designs and a possibility of their inclusion in the near-term planning for nuclear power expansion.
KEYWORDS
PAPER SUBMITTED: 2025-11-18
PAPER REVISED: 2025-12-15
PAPER ACCEPTED: 2025-12-26
PUBLISHED ONLINE: 2026-01-17
DOI REFERENCE: https://doi.org/10.2298/TSCI251118224V
REFERENCES
[1] Nuclear Power Reactors in the World, 2025 Edition, Reference Data Series No. 2, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 2025, https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/RDS-2-45_web.pdf
[2] AI Wants your Job - And Now It Wants Your Electricity Too, ZeroHedge (Nov 30, 2025)] https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/ai-wants-your-job-and-now-it-wants-your-electricity-too
[3] IAEA Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) Database (2019);
[4] IAE Electricity Information Database (2018)
[5] NEICA-Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017, Publication Law 115-248, Sep 28, 2018, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-115publ248/pdf/PLAW-115publ248.pdf
[6] NEIMA - Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, Public Law 115-439, Jan 14, 2019, https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ439/PLAW-115publ439.pdf
[7] Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, U.S. Department of Energy, https://www.energy.gov/edf/inflation-reduction-act-2022
[8] The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act of 2024, U.S. Department of Energy, https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/newly-signed-bill-will-boost-nuclear-reactor-deployment-united-states
[9] Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, U.S. Department of Energy, 2020 https://www.energy.gov/ne/advanced-reactor-demonstration-program (Accessed November 2024)
[10] Reactor Pilot Program of 2025, U.S. Department of Energy, May 23, 2025, https://www.energy.gov/ne/us-department-energy-reactor-pilot-program
[11] Fuel Line Pilot Program of 2025, U.S. Department of Energy, June 18, 2025, https://www.energy.gov/ne/energy-department-fuel-line-pilot-program
[12] Energy Department Selects Four Companies for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Line Pilot Projects, U.S. Department of Energy, September 30, 2025, https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-department-selects-four-companies-advanced-nuclear-fuel-line-pilot-projects
[13] U.S. Plans Largest Nuclear Power Program Since the 1970s, IEEE Spectrum, December 17, 2025, https://spectrum.ieee.org/80-billion-us-nuclear-power
[14] What are Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), IAEA 2023, https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/what-are-small-modular-reactors-smrs (Accessed in Oct 2025)
[15] D. Ingersol, Historical Perspective on Small Modula Reactors, 4 th Asia-Pacific Forum, University of California, Berkeley, June 18, 2010
[16] J. Vujic, R. Bergmann, M. Miletic, and R. Skoda, "Small Modular Rectors: Simpler, Safer, Cheaper?", Energy: The International Journal (Elsevier, ISSN 0360-5442), Vol. 45, Issue 1, pp. 288-295 (2012) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S036054421200093X
[17] Small Modular Reactors: Advances in SMR Developments, IAEA/PAT/008, 2024 https://doi.org/10.61092/iaea.3o4h-svum
[18] Small Modular Reactors: Challenges and Opportunities, NEA No. 7560, OECD
[19] Advances in Small Modular Reactor Technology Developments, A Supplement to: IAEA Advanced Rectors Information System (ARIS), 2022 Edition, IAEA September 2022 (aris.iaea.org)
[20] S. Kim, J. F. McCarthy, and C. E. McCarthy, Study of Small Modular Reactor Technology and Its Impact for Indiana, The School of Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University, October 31,
[21] Program on Technology Innovation: A Comparison of Capital Costs Between LWRs and SMRs, EPRI 2023 Technical Report, August
[22] The Economics of Small Modular Reactors, March 2021, SMR Start Org. 2021
PDF VERSION [DOWNLOAD]
© 2026 Society of Thermal Engineers of Serbia. Published by the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International licence


