The Arctic’s energy demands are ‘demanding and difficult to meet’. Courtesy Wikipedia/Timinilya. The continued development of small modular reactors offers a potential opportunity to overcome many of the hindrances presented by larger nuclear power plants, including high costs, complex supply chains, large physical infrastructure, and unsuitability in harsh environments such as the Arctic, according to an article published by the Atlantic Council think-tank.

Julia Nesheiwat of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Centre, wrote in the article that low-carbon SMRs present a vital opportunity for energy production in the Arctic, where energy needs are more demanding and difficult to meet due to the region’s low temperatures, low population density, and inaccessibility.

While other energy sources such as natural gas and oil are abundant in the Arctic, their exploitation is not sustainable and often comes at a high cost to local communities and the environment.

Nuclear energy is not a new technology, but recent advancements like SMRs present a promising solution to challenges associated with traditional nuclear power and fossil fuels, as well as along with high-polluting diesel generators used in the Arctic.

Ms Nesheiwat, who has as served as commissioner on the US Arctic Research Commission, said the Biden administration and UK prime minister Boris Johnson have both signalled that SMRs have a key role in combatting carbon emissions and meeting increased energy demand. More recently, several Canadian provincial governments joined forces with private corporations to conduct feasibility studies for the deployment of SMRs in the far north.