The SMPR Supply Situation

Two questionnaires were used to obtain information from potential suppliers and buyers. Suppliers responded with an overwhelming 23 design concepts which could be offered for export but with varying levels of readiness and provenness. From potential buyers 17 responses were received, 16 of which were from the developing countries. 

In reviewing the suppliers proposed design concepts, no in-depth evaluation of provenness and safety aspects could be performed, as the information provided in most cases would not permit this. The following notable design trends could, however be discerned from these proposals  

These trends are notable for the plants proposed to be offered immediately or in the near future. For the longer term, some suppliers referred to on-going development work on inherently safe smaller reactors but also stated that these could not be offered for bids until well into the next decade. 

Only very few of the potential suppliers gave any indications of the costs of the plants offered. They must be considered as carefully made estimates but not applicable to any specific site. It is still interesting to see that all estimates are low in comparison to costs extrapolated from equally generalized IAEA estimates for the size range above 600 MW(e). It would indeed appear that SMPR specific designs and fabrication methods would have managed to supercede the usual scaling laws. 

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