1、1 2 Right-Sizing Reactors:Balancing trade-offs between economies of scale and volume Author:Jessica Lovering,NIA November 2025 2025 Nuclear Innovation Alliance,All Rights Reserved 3 Table of Contents 1.“SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL”FOR NUCLEAR POWER41.1 THE END OF“BIGGER IS BETTER”.62.UNDERSTANDING TRADE-OFFS
2、 BETWEEN SCALE AND VOLUME82.1 ECONOMIES OF SCALE.82.2 EVIDENCE FOR ECONOMIES OF VOLUME(LEARNING-BY-DOING).102.3 INNOVATION(LEARNING-BY-RESEARCH).112.4 SUPPLY CHAIN ECONOMIES(LEARNING-BY-SEARCHING).122.5 POTENTIAL FINANCING AND RISK-MANAGEMENT BENEFITS OF SMRS.132.6 RIGHT-SIZING REGULATIONS FOR SMRS
3、AND MICROREACTORS.143.RIGHT-SIZING NUCLEAR REACTORS FOR MARKETS173.1 THE MARKET FOR MICROREACTORS(50 MW).183.2 THE MARKET FOR SMRS(50 300 MW).223.3 THE MARKET FOR MEDIUM(300-1000MW).273.4 THE MARKET FOR LARGE(1000 MW+).28CONCLUSION30 4 Executive Summary In the past,nuclear energy programs pursued ev
4、er-larger reactors to capture economies of scale and meet rapidly growing demand for electricity in industrializing countries.But this trend often increased system complexity and exacerbated cost escalationan effect documented across the U.S.and Europe in the late 20th century.More recent megaprojec
5、t experience(e.g.,Vogtle,Flamanville-3)strengthen the case that large bespoke plants carry substantial schedule risk and capital overruns.Yet some countriesSouth Korea,Chinaachieved cost declines with large reactors through standardization,serialization,and paced deployment,demonstrating that scale
6、can succeed when accompanied by a comprehensive industrial strategy.Modern Small Modular Reactors(SMRs)and microreactors invert the historical trend by emphasizing economies of volume rather than scale.Their smaller,standardized,often factory-fabricated units have the potential to reduce onsite labo