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NPR:
Nuclear power plants are so big, complicated and expensive to build that more are shutting down than opening up. An Oregon company, NuScale Power, wants to change that trend by building nuclear plants that are the opposite of existing ones: smaller, simpler and cheaper.
The company says its plant design using small modular reactors also could work well with renewable energy, such as wind and solar, by providing backup electricity when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining.
...
NuScale's design doesn't depend on pumps or generators that could fail in an emergency because it uses passive cooling. The reactors would be in a containment vessel, underground and in a huge pool of water that can absorb heat.
Presumably the biggest risk of a NuScale reactor failing is radioactive gophers?
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Thursday May 09 2019, @09:54AM
> unsustainable for short-sighted investors
The UK government is finding it hard to bring investors for nuclear new build as well, even with incentives like guaranteed pricing. The problem is that there is just too much risk for the private sector to stomach.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_the_United_Kingdom#Future_power_stations [wikipedia.org]
Note the last paragraph:
> However on 17 January 2019, Horizon announced that it was suspending its UK nuclear development programme
So of at least two proposed new build plants (there was talk of more) only one is going ahead. From the same article, 5 plants are due to close in the next decade.
Note also: Rolls-Royce elaborates on its [Small Modular Reactor] plans
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Rolls-Royce-elaborates-on-its-SMR-plans-1306171.html [world-nuclear-news.org]