NEA publishes new SMR Dashboard
The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency has published the third edition of the NEA Small Modular Reactor Dashboard, a comprehensive global review of SMR technology that defines criteria for assessing progress in the development of these advanced reactors. The assessments are based on six dimensions of readiness: licensing, siting, financing, supply chain, engagement, and fuel.
Overview: The new NEA SMR Dashboard report identifies 127 SMR technologies from over a dozen countries, focusing on the 74 reactor designs for which “requisite publicly available information was assessable and for which the relevant designers were willing to participate.” Of the remaining 53 designs, the publication notes that about 25 are under development “but requested not to be included in the SMR Dashboard at this time but may be included in the future.” The remainder “include SMR technologies that are not under active development, may be without human or financial resources, or have been cancelled or paused indefinitely.”
For each SMR design, the NEA SMR Dashboard includes such information as technology concept, configuration, outlet temperature, size, fuel type, and requirements for enrichment. The information obtained from verifiable public sources was supplemented through consultations with SMR designers and independent verifications.
Design data: The SMR design assessments in the new publication reveal that there are 51 designs currently (as of mid-February) involved in prelicensing or licensing processes in 15 countries, and there are approximately 85 active discussions ongoing between SMR developers and site owners around the world. Since the previous edition of the NEA SMR Dashboard, in 2024, there has been an 81 percent increase in the number of SMR designs that have secured at least one source of funding or for which there have been announcements of funding commitments.
Currently, seven SMR designs are either operating or under construction, and there is “a strong pipeline of projects progressing toward first-of-a-kind deployment.”
The publication notes that the “diversity of designs provides potential customers with a healthy range of options but also presents challenges to regulators and the industrial supply chain.” The report describes opportunities to streamline global supply chains, promote standardization, and enhance the economic viability of SMRs.
Quotable: NEA Director General William D. Magwood IV commented, “The overarching developments reflected in the NEA SMR Dashboard are clear: the strategic drivers for SMR deployment—rising electricity demand including from data centers and expanding digital services, energy security imperatives, and national goals set by many countries to reduce carbon emissions—are intensifying. SMRs are now a core part of the energy strategies in an increasing number of countries in all parts of the world.”
Interactive platform: The NEA has also announced that for the first time, the NEA SMR Dashboard is available as a digital interactive platform, providing direct access to the NEA’s SMR database. These data are being collected on an ongoing basis, thereby offering frequent updates to the NEA’s assessments.
