Flexblue

Flexblue is a concept of a small nuclear power plant (50 to 250 MWe), measuring a hundred meters long for about 14 meters in diameter. It is being studied by Naval Group (French industrial group specialised in naval defence and marine renewable energy) since 2008, in partnership with AREVA, the CEA and EDF.[1] This unit of production is presented by its promoters as a modular development tool, which could be chosen by developing countries and areas of developed countries that need to compensate for an energy deficit. The target market for the reactor is also focused on medium-sized countries, like Monaco, that may be unsuitable for large nuclear plants.[2]

Proponents of the Flexblue technology point out that this type of reactor would be much less prone to terrorist attacks than terrestrial-based ones. However, nuclear reactor leaks would be much more difficult and costly to resolve underwater. Scholars have pointed out that operating a nuclear reactor underwater would also raise the surrounding waters with several degrees and affect the marine biology that exists in deep waters.[3]