Thread: Are mini nuclear reactors the wave of the future?

Toshiba is apparently going to sell a miniature nuclear reactor, the 4S system, to the town of Galena, Alaska. The reactor is quite small, and it can be housed in a small building, though Toshiba recommends burying it deep to avoid nuclear irradiation.

I'm wondering if mini-reactors like these will be the answer to our energy crisis, and if they are the wave of the future. With technological advances, of course, the price will go down, and the capability, safety, and reliability of future generations of reactors will go up.

I think those mini reactors are for a specific purpose - to replace the very expensive diesel generator powered electricity used in remote areas of the world. The bigger reactors will still have the edge in cost per megawatt-hour.

Interesting. I've come across this link from Technology Review, which says small reactors can be built, but they will not have the economies of scale of the larger ones. But I still think there can be a need for them, just as there's a need for small cars, as opposed to heavy forklift trucks.