Small modular reactor projects (PRM or SMR in English) are being studied around the world, including around fifteen in France. Most project leaders have embarked on a race against time, with the ambition of having the first reactors in place by 2030.
This optimistic timetable seems difficult to achieve. SMRs are the Swiss army knives of the atom, designed to replace coal-fired power plants, decarbonize industry or to heat cities. But several obstacles will have to be overcome, which are far from all of an industrial or technical nature.