US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Certifies Design for the First Advanced Small Modular Reactor

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted certification for a design of an advanced small modular reactor (SMR), a first in history. 

This certification allows power companies to select this advanced reactor design when applying for a license to construct and run a new power plant. 

It is a major endorsement for a potential solution to climate change that is still met with skepticism among environmentalists and marks the beginning of an entirely new generation of nuclear reactors. 

Nuclear energy supporters argue that nuclear plants, which don’t produce greenhouse gas emissions, can provide vital support to solar and wind energy that varies with the weather. 

Small and modular design makes these next-generation reactors believed to be less expensive and easier to construct and locate than traditional nuclear power plants. 

The NRC certified design is roughly one-third the size of a conventional reactor and is based on a concept that originated at Oregon State University in the early 2000s. 

The Department of Energy (DOE) has provided over $600 million to the company that emerged from that research project, NuScale Power, and other advanced reactor concepts to develop the technology since 2014. 

The DOE and NuScale are collaborating with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems to construct a demonstration power plant using these SMRs. The first module is expected to be operational in 2029. 

The demonstration plant will be constructed in Idaho, with six modules collectively generating 462MW. -Despite the project facing rising costs, the DOE and NuScale are determined to push forward with this innovative technology in the hopes of providing a reliable, carbon-free energy source.

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