Episode 99 | Fissile First | NuScale Power (Live)
No nuclear technology has received more attention in recent years than Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). These self-contained, smaller, nuclear reactors may be able to solve many of the logistical and cost issues traditional nuclear facilities have historically faced.
In August 2020, Oregon-based NuScale Power made history with the first SMR design to receive design approval by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
The following October, I had the privilege of hosting Dom Claudio, NuScale's Director of Sales, for the 2020 NAYGN—Carolinas virtual conference.
After leading attendees in a well-deserved virtual round of applause for the NRC achievement, Dom broke down the staggering amount of effort needed to get design approval:
- Application was 12,000 pages
- Included 14 topical reports
- 2 million hours of labor (228 years)
- 800 people involved
- Over 50 suppliers and partners
- Cost over $500M
- NRC reviewed for 3.5 years and 250K labor hours
Dom says NuScale's SMR design could produce approximately 77 MWe (was formally 60 MWe), and would most likely be configured in a 924 MWe "12-pack" design. Refueling would occur every 24 months, last approx. 10 days, and could occur with the other 11 units still operating.
Like all "Gen 4" nuclear reactors, NuScale's model would be "walk-away safe." Because the design is modular, it could be fabricated at a central facility rather than on-site like current reactors.
"By being able to build the core of the system in a factory while at the same time being able to the civil work on site, allows one to cut the schedule in half, basically," he says. Dom believes staff could even be shared between facilities, i.e. refueling crews.
NuScale believes they could be the go-to source for power, water desalination, hydrogen production, and "mission-critical facility support." In addition, the SMR design is versatile enough to actually load-follow renewable generation, just as a gas combustion turbine might.
He adds, "Once you get above a certain level, the economics start flipping away from renewables," when considering redundant generation. "You need nuclear in order to have that reliability."
Their first commercial facility, the Carbon Free Power Project, with UAMPS, is expected to start operation as soon as 2029. NuScale has many more agreements in place with Canada, UK, Romania, Czech Republic, and Jordan, which Dom believes would begin post-2030 at the moment.
I was curious how eager America's utilities are to be among the first to build an SMR-powered facility.
"It's all about risk," says Dom. "I think there's becoming an increased realization on the part of utilities that in order to attain a clean energy system, you have to do something other than wind and solar, and nuclear is a very viable solution."
Dom says while a typical license for a nuclear facility is 40 years, each module may be good for 60 years and the building that houses them could last a century. In addition, he believes SMRs could re-power coal plants, since much of the steam systems could remain in place.
With the recent NRC approval, there's not much left for NuScale to do other than start building. This of course has many investors eager.
"I would say the phone is ringing more, not only as a result of having achieved this regulatory milestone, but also moving forward with the UAMPS project," says Dom. "Those two elements are expected to increase the amount of dialog we are having with investors, but also translates into funding."
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