To become viable, SMRs will require a fleet approach–deployment in large
numbers with high degrees of standardization and modularity. To overcome
the loss of economies of scale, the development of economies of numbers
and mass production must be pursued. As such, it would be prudent for SMR
vendors to mirror practices and models from other manufacturing sectors,
such as the airline or shipbuilding industries. To fully facilitate
learning-by-doing, standardization and repetition should be
emphasized–more than just building the same technology or design, the
same supply chains, methods, training, and operating models should be
used. Through such practices, reductions in cost and project/construction
risk can be maximized, thereby also reducing investor risk and cost of
capital. A fleet approach will also entail engaging large (global)
markets, and so facilitating early international vendor-client
conversations and partnerships will also be critical. Advancing the
aforementioned measures will require government support, international
regulatory harmonization, and targeted government-industry-market
coordination.
