London, Nov 9 : Nuclear power plants, which are smaller than a garden shed and are able to power 20,000 homes, shall be available within five years, according to a group of scientists.
Scientists at Los Alamos, the US government laboratory which developed the first atomic bomb, said that the miniature reactors will be factory-sealed and contain no weapons-grade material.
The experts added that they have no moving parts and will be nearly impossible to steal because they will be encased in concrete and buried underground.
The US government has licensed the technology to Hyperion, a New Mexico-based company which said last week that it has taken its first firm orders and plans to start mass production within five years.