Derasat Center holds a ThinkTalk lecture on SMRs
The Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat), in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in the Kingdom of Bahrain, organized a ThinkTalk lecture titled ‘Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) in Future Energy Systems’, delivered by Dr. Randy Beatty, an international expert in nuclear energy security.
Participants included representatives from national institutions and several stakeholders. The lecture falls under the scope of Derasat’s Energy and Environment Studies Program, which addresses strategic transformations in the energy sector and their implications.
The ThinkTalk was moderated by Dr. Omar Ahmad Al Ubaydli, Director of Studies and Research, and presented a forward-looking assessment of the role of SMRs as a promising component of the future energy mix. It examined their advantages in efficiency, flexibility, safety, their potential industrial applications, and the importance of their early integration into national energy planning to support sustainability and supply security.
The ThinkTalk also reviewed selected international experiences and investmenttrends in developing SMR technologies, amid accelerating global energy transitions and the growing demand for more reliable and environmentally sustainable solutions.
Dr. Beatty is a leading international expert in nuclear energy security and scientific cooperation, with decades of professional experience in senior leadership and research roles at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.S. Department of Energy, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has contributed to the management of advanced international programs related to nuclear materials security and the nuclear fuel cycle.
This ThinkTalk emphasizes Derasat’s commitment to advancing international knowledge partnerships and providing rigorous platforms for informed discussion on future energy issues, grounded in global expertise and comparative experiences.
