Rolls-Royce has announced that it is supporting US-based NuScale Power LLC in its submission to the United States Department of Energy’s (US DOE) funding opportunity announcement to bring scalable, small modular reactor technology to market by 2025.
NuScale is developing a 45 MWe self-contained pressurized water reactor and generator set, which would be factory made and shipped for deployment in sets of up to twelve units. These could result in scalable nuclear power plants with capacities from 45 MWe to 540 MWe.
The company has already teamed up with international engineering and construction management company Fluor Corporation. The addition of Rolls-Royce to the team brings "significant nuclear skills, a large existing nuclear supply chain and a long-standing presence in a number of key phases of the nuclear programme," NuScale said.
"Rolls-Royce is pleased to support NuScale Power in its submission to the US DOE Small Reactor Development Program. Rolls-Royce has a large US manufacturing footprint and a rich 50-year nuclear heritage spanning reactor and component design and manufacture through to operational support, obsolescence management and plant life extension," commented Jason Smith, president – Nuclear, Rolls-Royce.:
Rolls-Royce employs more than 14,000 engineers among its 45,000 people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in some 50 countries.