Toshiba, others developing small nuclear reactors: report

The move hopes to take advantage of a likely shift toward nuclear power in hopes of cutting CO2 production in a market previously dominated by larger, more expensive reactors.

TOSHIBA (JP6502.TK)is developing a nuclear reactor with output of 10,000 kilowatts and hopes to seek approval for its plans from a United States regulatory board as early as the autumn of 2010, the Nikkei said. Mitsubishi Heavy has begun developing a reactor with output of around 350,000 kw, it said.

Hitachi is developing reactors with output of 400,000-600,000 kw in conjunction with General Electric, the paper said.

(Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Paul Tait)