NuScale Power

NuScale Power
Name	NuScale Power
Founded	2007
Founders	Jose Reyes, Paul Lorenzini
Hq location	Portland, Oregon, United States
Industry	Nuclear power
Products	Small modular reactor

NuScale Power. It is an American company specializing in the design and development of small modular reactors (SMRs), a novel class of nuclear reactor. Founded in 2007, the company originated from research conducted at Oregon State University and has become a prominent player in advanced nuclear technology. Its flagship design is a compact, scalable pressurized water reactor intended to offer enhanced safety and flexibility for power generation.

History

The company's technological roots trace back to collaborative research in the early 2000s at Oregon State University and the Idaho National Laboratory. Key founders Jose Reyes and Paul Lorenzini commercialized the concept, forming NuScale Power in 2007. Significant early development funding was provided by the United States Department of Energy through its Small Modular Reactor Licensing Technical Support program. A major milestone occurred in 2020 when the company became publicly listed via a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, Spring Valley Acquisition Corp., to accelerate deployment.

Technology

The NuScale design is an integral pressurized water reactor where the core, steam generators, and pressurizer are contained within a single, compact reactor vessel. Each power module is designed to generate approximately 77 MWe and can be combined in clusters of up to 12 units at a single site. The reactor relies on natural circulation for decay heat removal, eliminating the need for large, active pumping systems. This approach is fundamentally different from traditional large-scale plants like those built by Westinghouse Electric Company or Framatome.

Projects and deployment

The first planned deployment is the Carbon Free Power Project, led by the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), with a proposed site at the Idaho National Laboratory. Internationally, NuScale has pursued agreements in countries including Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic through partnerships with entities like KGHM Polska Miedź and Nuclearelectrica. The company has also engaged with Japan's JGC Holdings Corporation and South Korea's Doosan Enerbility for supply chain and construction collaboration.

Safety features

Safety is centered on passive systems that function without operator intervention or AC power. The entire reactor module is submerged in a below-grade safety containment pool, which provides an infinite heat sink for cooling. The design is certified to withstand extreme events, including earthquakes and aircraft impact. These features were rigorously evaluated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) during its review process, drawing comparisons to the inherent safety principles of Generation III reactor designs.

Economic aspects

The economic model emphasizes factory fabrication of modules, aiming to reduce construction costs and timelines compared to traditional nuclear plants. Scalability allows utilities to add capacity incrementally, matching demand growth. Key investors and partners have included Fluor Corporation, which provided major engineering support, and the United States Department of Energy. Challenges include achieving competitive levelized cost of energy (LCOE) with other baseload power sources like natural gas and renewable energy.

Regulatory approval

NuScale achieved a historic regulatory milestone in 2020 when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a Standard Design Approval for its SMR design. This was followed in 2023 by the issuance of a Final Safety Evaluation Report and the certification of its design rule (Part 52), making it the first and only SMR design approved for use in the United States. The process involved extensive review and testing, including at facilities like the Oregon State University test loop and the Idaho National Laboratory.

Category:Nuclear technology companies of the United States Category:Companies based in Portland, Oregon Category:Nuclear reactor manufacturers