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NRC issues first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor

151 points · 191 comments · papa-whisky

  1. preisschild · · focus · HN ↗
    The BWRX-300 footprint is so large they might as well just build large nuclear power units again and get 3-4x the power
    1. nine_k · · focus · HN ↗
      I don't think that the footprint is the key factor. Likely the total construction cost is. A large reactor may have a better cost per kWh, averaged over decades of its lifetime, but a smaller reactor likely has a more affordable upfront cost.
      1. throw0101a · · focus · HN ↗
        > A large reactor may have a better cost per kWh, averaged over decades of its lifetime, but a smaller reactor likely has a more affordable upfront cost.

        What are the civil works costs for a small(er) reactor versus a large(r) reactor?

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