Study suggests that SMRs still need government funding

One of the main reasons the small modular reactors (SMRs) concept was developed was to make individual projects easier to fit inside the private sector, as opposed to traditional-sized nuclear which requires government-backed finance. But a Swedish study has argued that state aid is still needed to support private companies investing in SMRs for the sector to thrive. The proposed financing model to support the development of new nuclear reactors includes state aid to private companies investing in nuclear power, regulated through a new legislative act. The plan follows Sweden’s 2022 decision to expand nuclear energy, aiming to add at least two large reactors by 2035 and potentially up to ten by 2045. In 2023, Sweden’s electricity mix was predominantly…