SMR deployment in developing countries, correspondingly, will not work out optimally if it is done in the same way that nuclear power deployment has been done in the past in high-income countries. The institutional and human-resources challenge is just too difficult to overcome in the window of opportunity available; and in the case of SMRs, the degree of regulatory intensity may not be appropriate.

SMRs, with their simple and ‘forgiving’ technology, work for developing countries on that very basis (Carelli, 2014). They do not need the scale of supporting infrastructure and expertise that is currently demanded by existing large-scale nuclear power plants in rich countries, and thus could provide the starting point for a new nuclear country of more limited means (Mian, 2011).

What are the new basic structures needed to ensure that this matchup of a situation and a technology that are similar in kind can take place responsibly?

20.6.1 The role of standardization of technology and licensing

The first potential approach arises from the technology: for deployment in developing countries, the highest degree of standardization of plant design, manufacturing and construction methods would be best. This would overcome some temporal or material limitations of expertise and resources, and permit greater ease of technology transfer and capacity-building.

This would not just affect technology deployment but also licensing. Currently, the multiplicity of incompatible licensing approaches (Soderholm, 2013) is an obstacle to widespread international SMR deployment. Because of their scale and comparative simplicity, SMRs present the opportunity to rationalize and innovate in the areas of policy and regulation. Reciprocally, a technology-neutral regulatory approach to SMRs eventually could be the template for new countries initiating a civil nuclear program and a new nuclear regulatory framework, especially if finances or grid size preclude embarking on a large-scale nuclear power program. Safety and security measures that are designed to enable remote operation and monitoring are also applicable and apt in developing-country situations.