Small modular reactors (SMRs) are nuclear fission reactors with an electrical output typically under 300 MWe whose components are factory-fabricated as standardised modules and assembled on site. Their smaller scale, passive safety features, and modular construction aim to lower capital cost and deployment time relative to gigawatt-scale plants. They are an emerging low-carbon power-infrastructure option, including for energy-intensive data centres.
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- Factory production and standardisation target shorter build times and lower financing risk, while passive cooling reduces reliance on active safety systems. SMRs are being explored as dedicated, carbon-free baseload for hyperscale compute, though regulatory licensing and fuel-cycle questions remain to be resolved at scale.