NuScale project hits approval milestone
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-The Idaho-based Small Modular Reactor project met a achievement on its path to commercial operation last week. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed its fourth phase of review of NuScale Power's design certification application.
“The completion of Phase 4 of the NRC’s design review certification process is an unprecedented step forward for our company and for the advanced nuclear industry overall,” said NuScale Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Hopkins.
The project now enters the fifth and sixth phases of design review.
“We appreciate the NRC’s efforts to streamline Phase 5, and we expect that Phase 5 will be completed on or ahead of the original schedule in June 2020,” said NuScale Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Tom Bergman. “Phase 6 is preparation of the Final SER, which will incorporate confirmatory items from the Phase 4 advanced SER, and comments raised by ACRS (Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards) in Phase 5.”
NuScale's first customer is the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, including the city of Idaho Falls. The 12-module plant is slated for operation by the mid 2020's.
In preparation for that, the company is building out its supply chain and signing preliminary agreements with companies that will offer technical expertise and manufacture components of the reactor.
