Relevant activities of international organizations

The activities planned by the IAEA vary from small consultancies on a specific topic to large symposia with a broader base of technical aspects. Technical committee meetings on a specific topic provide the means to exchange information and coordinate work on areas of mutual interest. 

The international activity has played an important role in the development of reactors, not only with technical information exchange and coordination of research, but also with collaboration in the construction and operation of small experimental reactors to demonstrate their technical feasibility. 

The area of SMRs have been the subject of several major studies in recent years, principally carried out by international organizations such as the IAEA, European Union (EU) and Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (NEA/OECD). These activities can be summarized as follows  

In 1988, the NEA b an a detailed assessment of the role of SMRs in OECD countries over the next few decades. This was carried out by an Expert Group fi-om different OECD member countries vriiich examined the status of the various SMR designs that were available and the prospects for their application for electricity and heat. The study looked particularly at the economic aspects, the advantages of passive safety, and specific applications of small reactors. 

In 1990, the EU placed a short contract for a study of the potential for SMRs in Europe up to 2020 which was carried out by a small team from the UK and Germany. The study concentrated mainly on the situation in Western Europe but also made a preliminary assessment of the likdy opportunities for SMRs in the new Eastern Europe. It was concluded that there wwe some opportunities for SMRs in Europe, although they would find it difficult at first to compete against larger reactors and combined cycle gas stations for electricity, and gas boilers for heat production. It was noted, however, that conditions from country to country varied so widely that a true assessment could only be based on more detailed country analysis. 

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