The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has certified the design for what will be the first small modular nuclear reactor in the United States.
The rule that certifies this design is published in the Federal Register. That means companies looking to build and operate nuclear power plants can choose a design for a 50-megawatt, advanced light-water modular nuclear reactor by Oregon-based NuScale Power and apply to the NRC for a license.
The final determination that the design works means it cannot be legally challenged during the licensing process when someone applies to build and operate a nuclear power plant, NRC spokesman Scott Burnell said Friday. The rule is effective at the end of February.
The U.S. Department of Energy said the newly approved design “provides the nation with a new source of clean energy to help reduce” planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
This is the seventh nuclear reactor design cleared for use in the United States. Others are for traditional, large, light water reactors.
Diane Hughes, NuScale’s vice president of marketing and communications, said the design certification is a historic step toward a clean energy future and makes the company’s VOYGR power plant a viable solution for customers. The first small modular reactor design application package includes more than 2 million pages of supporting material, Hughes added.
However, David Schlissel at the Ohio-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis expressed concern about the cost. Schlissel, who has studied the history of the nuclear power industry and the finances of the NuScale project, expects it to continue to rise, which could limit the number of NuScale reactors built. They say they are not competitive on price with renewable energy and battery storage.
Hughes said that from wind and solar to hydrogen and nuclear, energy projects have seen cost increases due to changes in financial market dynamics, interest rate increases and inflationary pressure in the supply chain sector which has not been seen in decades. NuScale’s VOYGR power plant remains a reliable, affordable and carbon-free competitive power source, he added.
For many, nuclear power is emerging as the answer as countries and states move away from coal, oil and natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the worst effects of a warming planet.
About 40 serious concepts are being developed for the next generation of advanced nuclear reactors around the world. China is the first to connect next-generation reactors to the grid to generate around 200 megawatts of electricity. The high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor will start operating in 2021.
The U.S. Department of Energy said it has provided more than $600 million since 2014 to support the design, licensing and siting of the VOYGR NuScale small modular reactor power plant and other domestic small reactor concepts. The department is working with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems to demonstrate a six-module NuScale VOYGR plant at the Idaho National Laboratory. The first module is expected to be operational in 2029.
NuScale has signed 19 agreements in the US and internationally to deploy its small reactor technology. Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Kathryn Huff said small modular reactors are not an abstract concept.
“They are real and ready for deployment thanks to the hard work of NuScale, the university community, national laboratories, industry partners, and the NRC,” Huff said in a statement. “This is the best innovation and we’re just starting it in the US”
NuScale has also applied to the NRC for approval of a larger design, with 77 megawatts per module, and the agency is reviewing the application thoroughly before starting a full review, Burnell said.
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