Our Industry Night at the IAEA International Conference on Small Modular Reactors

World Nuclear Association had a strong presence at the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) International Conference on Small Modular Reactors and their Applications on 21-25 October in Vienna, Austria. The Association’s most significant contribution to the conference was the Industry Night, which we co-organized with the IAEA and which saw over 20 leading global SMR developers present their projects and showcase a variety of development stages from conceptual designs through to construction and operation phases across four panels. The event was moderated by nuclear industry associations and organizations from other sectors who are increasingly interested in nuclear, such as marine, whilst the IAEA moderated one of the panels themselves. The Industry Night was split across four panels, two focusing on light water SMRs, one covering non-water-cooled SMR and the final one presenting advanced SMRs designs and their applications. Conference attendees packed into the rooms in which the panels were held, with standing room only for many, reflecting the levels of interest in the event and the projects under discussion. Developers’ variety of designs, approaches and strategies drew many questions from the audience during the drinks reception and the break between sessions.

King Lee, Head of Policy and Industry Engagement, opened the evening, emphasizing that the goal of tripling nuclear capacity by 2050 will require the development of many enablers such as markets, financing, and regulation.

The Association’s participation in the conference also extended beyond the Industry Night. King Lee moderated a panel session on End Users which focused on how energy-intensive sectors, such as steelmakers, chemical producers, and the transport industry, are exploring the option of using SMRs to achieve their decarbonization objectives. The potential of SMRs for nuclear marine propulsion, offering a sustainable alternative for global shipping, was also discussed.

Ronan Tanguy, Programme Lead for Safety & Licensing spoke about the need for the entire nuclear industry to work together to accelerate the deployment of SMRs and bring related costs down during the session on Cooperation for Harmonization and Standardization, highlighting the work that the Association’s CORDEL Working Group has carried out in support of this objective. The Security Working Group was represented by member Ross Peel from King’s College London, who spoke about nuclear industry views on the security of SMRs, based on outcomes from the Working Group’s recent survey and analysis.

King Lee, Head of Policy and Industry Engagement, speaking at the IAEA's International Conference on Small Modular Reactors and their Applications.