I WAS interested in your report that Exeter may be in line for geothermal energy research funding, Echo, October 24.

But geothermal and other renewable sources are simply too uncertain and aren't likely to make a big enough dent in fossil fuel use in a short enough time.

I believe that countries with nuclear power capability have a moral duty to use it to the maximum to make up for those countries that have agreed to forgo it, so why not explore something that could realistically make a big difference such as combined heat and power from small, sealed, transportable nuclear reactors?

The US company Hyperion Power Generation, for example, has developed a nuclear power plant just 1.5m diameter that can deliver 25MW electrical power or 75MW heating with refueling needed only every five years.

It says it has already started taking orders for the first 4,000 units and delivery will start in 2013.

It might seem odd to suggest locating such a system in a population centre, but these units are designed to be inherently safe and their small size would make them easily sealed into ultra-safe surroundings.

They can be transported away for refuelling or de-comissioning, or, in the event of a problem, would produce much less and shorter-lived nuclear waste than conventional power stations. They could even help dispose of existing waste by burning it within the reactor, which would allow the UK to turn its existing waste stockpiles into an asset rather than a liability.

Four such reactors could meet all of the city's electricity and heating requirements for the foreseeable future at a cost of $25m (£15m) each — £600 per head of population in the city — plus small running and refuelling costs.

I believe Exeter is particularly well placed to deploy such systems due to the proximity of military bases — to provide security — and the city's past track record of innovative combined heat and power projects. Why not give it real consideration?

Jonathan West

Trews Weir Reach, Exeter