Media Coverage
Source: World Nuclear Association
Media Coverage
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Thomas
10.01.20
Elina Teplinsky, Nuclear Energy practice partner and deputy leader of the firm’s global Energy Industry Group, participated in a recent webinar with other World Nuclear Association panelists to discuss the opportunities and challenges for nuclear power plants and their supply chain over the next two decades.
“There is significant potential for both light-water and next-generation SMRs over the coming decade,” said Teplinsky. “Rosatom's floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov—which was commissioned earlier this year —and the recent U.S. design certification approval for the NuScale SMR illustrate recent progress towards the deployment of light-water SMRs, but non-light water models are also catching up, a whole fleet of SMRs could potentially become a reality in the next decade.”
“This presents significant possibilities for nuclear new-build in markets that are different from the traditional ones,” Teplinsky added. "SMRs can address a whole new set of markets, both geographically because they can be used and deployed in countries that have smaller grids or require distributed energy, or don't have the financial capacity to support a large nuclear power plant.”
“In addition, these designs open up a new market for non-electricity generation uses such as desalination, process heat, district heat and, in the longer term, the production of alternative fuels like hydrogen,” she said
“The impact that will have on the supply chain will be interesting. By their nature, SMRs are more modular, and they're going to have more manufactured content and potentially less civil construction than large-scale nuclear power plants—here, we're moving more towards a product rather than a project. This will lead to an expansion in the supply chain as new companies join it,” Teplinsky concluded.
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