Few technologies seem more futuristic in the renewable energy space than the idea of nuclear reactors being able to power industrial or remote sites. There has been much talk about the possibility of adapting nuclear energy to smaller-scale solutions. These products, referred to as Small Modular Reactors, have significant capabilities in the production of energy without the cost of an entire atomic power facility. SMRs can produce up to ⅓ of the power of a nuclear power reactor, and their size and assembly make them ideal for remote locations.
There are virtually limitless applications for small-scale nuclear reactors, including the decarbonization of carbon-intensive industries. An article by the International Atomic Energy Agency reports that sectors such as oil and gas, which currently require vast amounts of energy due to pumping and fracking, could utilize small reactors to decarbonize the process. This solution makes even more sense when the remoteness of the industries is considered, far from any point that could be realistically connected to the grid. These small-scale reactors could prevent the necessity of constantly staffed wind and solar facilities in very remote areas.
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