Nuclear industry touts 'mini-reactors'

Jeff Wilkenson | The State

South Carolina has a chance to lead the world in the development of mini nuclear reactors, the president-elect of the American Nuclear Society said during a swing through Columbia on Thursday.

But nuclear critics say the Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs as they are called, still produce nuclear waste that would have to be disposed of.

SMRs can be as small as a couple of hot tubs or as large as a double-wide trailer. They could power a manufacturing plant, a military installation or a town the size of Anderson using existing infrastructure without the siting difficulties facing large reactors. They would be buried in the ground and provide enough energy for the equivalent of 20,000 to 100,000 homes, and would be moved to another site after cooling off for several months.

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