Small Canadian Reactors for Heat, Electricity, Research and Isotopes

Abstract

The world's exploitation of nuclear energy has so far been dominated by the production of electricity, using base-load plants having one or more reactors, each with an installed capacity of anywhere from 100 to 1300 MW of electrical output. However, changes in energy prices and technological developments during the past fifteen years are now providing providing opportunities for much smaller reactors, with up to 30 MW thermal output. Small reactors currently being developed in Canada are well positioned to exploit these opportunities, for the production of heat and electricity, and for nuclear research and the production of radioisotopes.