Aero-engine giant says small modular reactor technology will generate at $78/MWh and falling //

UK power technology group Rolls-Royce claimed it's on track to grid-connect mini nuclear reactors that can match renewables such as wind power on cost of electricity produced.

The group’s chief technology officer Paul Stein said its small modular reactor (SMR) technology, which uses prefabricated components that can be transported on a truck and assembled on site for scalable projects, can revive the prospects of nuclear as a source of zero-carbon energy by avoiding the pitfalls of massive, gigawatt-scale power station builds.

Stein told the BBC: “We think we can get the cost of a power station producing 440MW … to about £1.75bn ($2.23bn).

“If you go through the maths of the cost of capital, it means we’re selling electricity below £60/MWh ($78.5/MWh) which puts it into the territory of many of the renewables.”