Nuclear industry : Small Modular Reactors (SMR) for urban and industrial heat supply

For most industrial players, deploying small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) dedicated to heat production (0–500°C) faces significant barriers, including short investment horizons, site size and dispersion constraints, a high but fixed acceptable cost for very long-lived assets, and strong acceptability challenges.

By contrast, district heating network operators are more favorable, notably because public tenders for heat supply typically span 20 to 30 years.

While many hurdles remain to be overcome, particularly regarding public acceptance, heat-producing SMRs have a role to play in the energy transition, both for urban district heating networks and for certain specific industrial applications.