Small modular reactor [credit: ANS Nuclear Cafe]
The battle to make nuclear power more practical and affordable steps up a gear.
NuScale Power’s small modular reactor (SMR) design has cleared the latest stage of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)’s review process, reports New Civil Engineer.
The reactor is the world’s first SMR to undergo design certification review by the NRC, after passing phase 4 of the review process. It is on track for approval by September 2020.
SMR supporters see the reactors as a safer, more affordable nuclear power option.
Phase 4 of the review involves completion of the advanced safety evaluation report (SER) with no open items. It signifies near-completion of the technical review.
NuScale chairman and chief executive John Hopkins said: “We appreciate the tremendous effort the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dedicated to its thorough and rigorous review of our groundbreaking technology thus far. We are thrilled to be entering into the final stages of the NRC’s review process and are looking forward to delivering America’s first small modular nuclear reactor.”
Phase 5 involves a review by the NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), while Phase 6 involves preparation of the final SER.
NuScale vice president of regulatory affairs Tom Bergman said the company appreciates “the NRC’s efforts to streamline Phase 5″.
He added: “We expect that Phase 5 will be completed on or ahead of the original schedule in June 2020.”
The Utah Associated Municipal Power System is planning a 12-module SMR plant in Idaho, based on the NRC’s certified design and scheduled for operation by the mid-2020s.
Full report here.
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This is great news. I am currently keeping an eye on the Canadian Moltex SMR development, which is giving good vibes. Just hope the U.K. authorities take note of this.
Reblogged this on Climate- Science.press.
As far as I can see most of the required regulation approval is stupid and based on the LNT or Linear No Threshold models which have no real basis in fact and serves only one purpose – slowing down, or stopping, the development and use of nuclear power plants.
In fact most of the regulations actually increase the possibility that something will go wrong by increasing the number of automated alarms which, generally, do nothing to improve safety.
Sorry, I forgot to add a reference to the LNT model. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_no-threshold_model
I have followed the SMR development for years now. I think it’s a great idea but must be focused what it is best at.
While economy of scale is a useful guide, running power lines hundreds of miles across nasty terrain is not as good as developing distributed power sources near the users. It also obviates the pain of a massive power blackout from a large central source. Thus, the SMR. My only real concern is security of the devices from attack by insane people with a cause.
Quote “At up to 60 MWe (gross), the NuScale Power Module™ is the smallest of the light-water SMRs,”
That is the heat source. Then there is the rest of the plant; heat exchange, turbine, condenser, the works. And it IS small. One for every village????
From a different perspective, does this make the case for a wind-farm? Considering cost, risk, reliability, the tech level required to avoid/reduce risk of human error, the nimby factor (and not just a fence away in my neighbour’s yard), low thermal efficiency, etc…
Forgive me, but something does not seem right. ????
The Idaho plant will have 12 modules. As soon as one module is paid for and set up, the plant can in theory at least go live, and the other modules can be added in due course.
The economics of that is better than having to wait until an entire large plant is fully constructed. More flexibility, and repairs etc. don’t mean the whole plant has to shut down.
Reblogged this on Climate Collections.
SMRs will rool.