The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has awarded its first design certification for a small modular nuclear reactor. The designation was given to NuScale, and means that it meets safety requirements and therefore could be chosen by future projects seeking licensing and approval.
Small modular designs mean dividing a nuclear facility into a series of smaller reactors that can be manufactured in a factory and then dropped into place. In theory such a practice would be more efficient, cost-effective and safer.
NuScale’s design is a 76-foot-tall and 15-foot-wide steel cylinder capable of producing 50 megawatts of electricity. The company envisions a plant employing up to 12 of these reactors in a large pool like those used in current nuclear plants.
The company, which was birthed from research at Oregon State University, submitted over two million pages of requested information throughout the lengthy approval process, but says it was worth it. They hope to have its first reactors deployed “by the mid-2020s.”