The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved NuScale Power’s US460 small modular reactor (SMR) design. NRC said this “completes the NRC’s technical review ahead of schedule and under budget, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to safely and efficiently enable new, advanced reactor technology”.
NuScale’s application for standard design approval was accepted for NRC review in July 2023. The standard design approval is based upon the staff’s final safety evaluation report, issued on 28 May.
The NuScale US460 is a 77 MWe-per-module SMR, which is based, in part, on the NuScale US600 design certified by the NRC in 2023. Each NuScale SMR US600 has a rated thermal output of 160 MWt and electrical output of 50 MWe, yielding a total capacity of 600 MWe for 12 SMRs. NuScale’s first Design Certification Application (DCA) for its 160 MWt (50 MWe) SMR design was accepted by NRC in March 2017.
The US460 design continues to use natural “passive” processes such as convection and gravity in its operating systems and safety features. The US460’s six modules, producing a total of approximately 460 MWe, are all partially immersed in a safety-related pool built below ground level.
A standard design approval indicates that a proposed reactor design meets applicable agency safety requirements. NRC said companies that seek to use the US460 design would have to file applications seeking permission to build and operate a nuclear reactor using the approved design.
NuScale said this will enable ENTRA1 Energy Plants to provide a wider range of off-takers and consumers with reliable, carbon-free energy. NuScale remains the only SMR technology company with design approval from the NRC, and the company says it is on track for deployment by 2030. ENTRA1 Energy is NuScale’s partner and independent power plant development platform, which holds the global exclusive rights to the commercialisation, distribution, and deployment of NuScale’s SMRs.
“For more than a decade, our team has proudly worked alongside the NRC to achieve the successful approval of our designs.” Said John Hopkins, NuScale President & CEO. “The NRC is domestically and internationally recognised and respected for its rigorous safety standards, and this approval is a crucial step toward meeting our goal of providing clean, reliable, and, most importantly, safe energy to off-takers and consumers.”
“NuScale is proud to have worked with the NRC and to have met its stringent regulatory application process as we continue to lead the way in the SMR industry with our second design approval,” said Carrie Fosaaen, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Services.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has provided more than $575m in support of the design and licensing of NuScale’s SMR plant. DOE said NuScale is currently performing front-end engineering work for RoPower’s 462 MWe power plant in Romania and has 12 power modules in production with its manufacturing partner, South Korea’s Doosan “as it works to build up an orderbook”.
