The worm has turned
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Other day I was reading about the next generation , small, modular(SMR) LWR
designs and was shocked to see the costs were still in the $2-4 billion
range and construction times of at least 4 years.
That was a sticker and expectation shock to me. Having said that, I do however
believe now that nuclear will play a role in the near future. If that’s in form of modular LWR or
MSR or something else, I don’t know. May be a good investment option in nuclear energy mutual fund type thing.
Edit - I got the numbers wrong; it’s even higher.
These issues make for difficult utility executive decision-making. Even at best-case estimates of $5 to $10 billion per reactor, constructing a traditional nuclear plant involves capital costs and risks that equate to a “bet the company” wager for many utilities. Utilities must tie up that amount of capital for at least 5 to 10 years of construction before any revenue is realized.
The comparative economics have certainly changed recently, but SMRs are still expensive and take
years to bring online.