Small modular reactor
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are a proposed class of nuclear fission reactors, smaller than conventional nuclear reactors, which can be built in one location (such as a factory), then shipped, commissioned, and operated at a separate site. The ...
s (SMR) are much smaller than the current nuclear reactors (300
MWe
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Watt ...
or less) and have compact and scalable designs which propose to offer safety, construction and economic benefits, and offering potential for lower initial capital investment and scalability.
Summary table
The stated power refers to the capacity of one reactor unless specified otherwise.
Reactor designs
ACP100
In 2021, construction of the
ACP100
The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC; ) is a state-owned enterprise founded in 1955 in Beijing. CNNC's president and vice-president are appointed by the Premier of the People's Republic of China. CNNC oversees all aspects of China's civ ...
was started at the
Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant
Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant () is a nuclear power plant in Tangxing Village of Haiwei Township, Changjiang Li Autonomous County in the province of Hainan.
It is the first power plant of its kind in the province.
History
Construction of the ...
site in Hainan province. Previously, in July 2019 CNNC announced it would start building a demonstration ACP100 SMR by the end of the year. Design of the ACP100 started in 2010 and it became the first SMR project of its kind to be approved by the
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...
in 2016. It is a fully integrated reactor module with an internal coolant system, with a two-year refuelling interval, producing 385MWt and about 125MWe. The 125MWe
pressurised water reactor
A pressurized water reactor (PWR) is a type of light-water nuclear reactor. PWRs constitute the large majority of the world's nuclear power plants (with notable exceptions being the UK, Japan and Canada). In a PWR, the primary coolant (water) is ...
(PWR) is also referred to as the ''Linglong One'' and is designed for multiple purposes including electricity production, heating, steam production or seawater
desalination
Desalination is a process that takes away mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination refers to the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance, as in Soil salinity control, soil desalination, which is an issue f ...
.
ARC-100
The ARC-100 is a 100MWe sodium cooled, fast-flux, pool-type reactor with metallic fuel based on the 30-year successful operation of the
Experimental Breeder Reactor II
Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) is a sodium-cooled fast reactor designed, built and operated by Argonne National Laboratory at the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho.
in Idaho. ARC Nuclear is developing this reactor in Canada, in partnership with
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is a provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services. It is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. Established in June 2007, GEH is a nuclear alliance created by General Electric and Hitac ...
, with the intent of complementing existing
CANDU
The CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) is a Canadian pressurized heavy-water reactor design used to generate electric power. The acronym refers to its deuterium oxide ( heavy water) moderator and its use of (originally, natural) uranium fuel. C ...
facilities.
BWRX-300: United States
A scaled-down version of the
ESBWR
The Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) is a passively safe generation III+ reactor design derived from its predecessor, the Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (SBWR) and from the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR). All are designs ...
, that eliminates the possibility of large loss-of-coolant accidents, allowing for simpler safety mechanisms. In January 2020,
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is a provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services. It is headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. Established in June 2007, GEH is a nuclear alliance created by General Electric and Hitac ...
started the regulatory licensing process for the BWRX-300 with the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with protecting public health and safety related to nuclear energy. Established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the NRC began operat ...
.
CAREM: Argentina
Developed by the Argentine
National Atomic Energy Commission
The National Atomic Energy Commission ( es, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, CNEA) is the Argentine government agency in charge of nuclear energy research and development.
The agency was created on May 31, 1950, with the mission of deve ...
(CNEA) &
INVAP
INVAP S.E. is an Argentine company that provides design, integration, construction and delivery of equipment, plants and devices. The company operates in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, and delivers p ...
,
CAREM
Carem or Karem is a place mentioned in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible as being a town situated in the hill country of the tribe of Judah, while the Masoretic Text and Vulgate do not mention the name (see ).
Identification
Accordin ...
is a simplified
pressurized water reactor
A pressurized water reactor (PWR) is a type of light-water reactor, light-water nuclear reactor. PWRs constitute the large majority of the world's nuclear power plants (with notable exceptions being the UK, Japan and Canada). In a PWR, the primary ...
(PWR) designed to have electrical output of 100MW or 25MW. It is an integral reactor – the primary system coolant circuit is fully contained within the reactor vessel.
The fuel is
uranium oxide
Uranium oxide is an oxide of the element uranium.
The metal uranium forms several oxides:
* Uranium dioxide or uranium(IV) oxide (UO2, the mineral uraninite or pitchblende)
* Diuranium pentoxide or uranium(V) oxide (U2O5)
* Uranium trioxide or u ...
with an enrichment of 3.4%. The primary coolant system uses
natural circulation
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convect ...
, so there are no pumps required, which provides
inherent safety
In the chemical and process industries, a process has inherent safety if it has a low level of danger even if things go wrong. Inherent safety contrasts with other processes where a high degree of hazard is controlled by protective systems. As per ...
against
core meltdown
A nuclear meltdown (core meltdown, core melt accident, meltdown or partial core melt) is a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term ''nuclear meltdown'' is not officially defined by the Internation ...
, even in accident situations. The integral design also minimizes the risk of
loss-of-coolant accident
A loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) is a mode of failure for a nuclear reactor; if not managed effectively, the results of a LOCA could result in reactor core damage. Each nuclear plant's emergency core cooling system (ECCS) exists specifically t ...
s (LOCA). Annual refueling is required. Currently, the first reactor of the type is being built near the city of Zárate, in the northern part of Buenos Aires province.
Copenhagen Atomics: Denmark
The Copenhagen Atomics Waste Burner is developed by
Copenhagen Atomics
Copenhagen Atomics is a Danish molten salt technology company developing mass manufacturable molten salt reactors. The company is pursuing small modular, molten fuel salt, thorium fuel cycle, thermal spectrum, breeder reactors using separa ...
, a Danish molten salt technology company. The Copenhagen Atomics Waste Burner is a single-fluid, heavy water moderated, fluoride-based, thermal spectrum and autonomously controlled molten salt reactor. This is designed to fit inside of a leak-tight, 40-foot, stainless steel shipping container. The heavy water moderator is thermally insulated from the salt and continuously drained and cooled to below 50 °C. A molten lithium-7 deuteroxide (7LiOD) moderator version is also being researched. The reactor utilizes the thorium fuel cycle using separated plutonium from spent nuclear fuel as the initial fissile load for the first generation of reactors, eventually transitioning to a thorium breeder.
Elysium Industries
Elysium's design, called the Molten Chloride Salt, Fast Reactor (MCSFR), is a fast-spectrum reactor meaning the majority of fissions are caused by high-energy (fast) neutrons. This enables conversion of fertile isotopes into energy-producing fuel, efficiently using nuclear fuel, and closing the fuel cycle. In addition, this can enable the reactor to be fuelled with spent nuclear fuel from water reactors.
Encapsulated Nuclear Heat Source (ENHS): United States
ENHS is a liquid metal reactor (LMR) that uses
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
(Pb) or lead–bismuth (Pb–Bi) coolant. Pb has a higher boiling point than the other commonly used coolant metal,
sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable iso ...
, and is
chemically inert
In chemistry, the term chemically inert is used to describe a substance that is not chemically reactive. From a thermodynamic perspective, a substance is inert, or nonlabile, if it is thermodynamically unstable (positive standard Gibbs free en ...
with air and water. The difficulty is finding structural materials that will be compatible with the Pb or Pb–Bi coolant, especially at high temperatures.
The ENHS uses natural circulation for the coolant and the turbine steam, eliminating the need for pumps. It is also designed with autonomous control, with a load-following power generation design, and a thermal-to-electrical efficiency of more than 42%. The fuel is either U–Zr or U–Pu–Zr, and can keep the reactor at full power for 15 years before needing to be refueled, with either at 11% or at 13%
It requires on-site storage, at least until it cools enough that the coolant solidifies, making it very resistant to proliferation. However, the reactor vessel weighs 300tons with the coolant inside, and that can pose some transportation difficulties.
Flibe Energy: United States
Flibe Energy is a US-based company established to design, construct and operate small modular reactors based on
liquid fluoride thorium reactor
The liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR; often pronounced ''lifter'') is a type of molten salt reactor. LFTRs use the thorium fuel cycle with a fluoride-based, molten, liquid salt for fuel. In a typical design, the liquid is pumped between a ...
(LFTR) technology (a type of
molten salt reactor
A molten salt reactor (MSR) is a class of nuclear fission reactor in which the primary nuclear reactor coolant and/or the fuel is a molten salt mixture. Only two MSRs have ever operated, both research reactors in the United States. The 1950's Ai ...
). The name "Flibe" comes from
FLiBe
FLiBe is a molten salt made from a mixture of lithium fluoride (LiF) and beryllium fluoride (BeF2). It is both a nuclear reactor coolant and solvent for fertile or fissile material. It served both purposes in the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment ...
, a Fluoride salt of Lithium and Beryllium, used in LFTRs. Initially 2050MW (electric) version will be developed, to be followed by 100MWe "utility-class reactors" at a later time.
Assembly line
An assembly line is a manufacturing process (often called a ''progressive assembly'') in which parts (usually interchangeable parts) are added as the semi-finished assembly moves from workstation to workstation where the parts are added in seq ...
construction is planned, producing "mobile units that can be dispersed throughout the country where they need to go to generate the power." Initially the company is focusing on producing SMRs to power remote military bases. Flibe has also been proposed for use in a fusion reactor both as a primary coolant and to breed Tritium fuel for D-T reactors.
HTR-PM: China
The
HTR-PM
The HTR-PM (球床模块式高温气冷堆核电站) is a small modular nuclear reactor in China.
It is the world’s first prototype of a high-temperature gas-cooled (HTGR) pebble-bed generation IV reactor. The reactor unit has a thermal capac ...
HTR-10
HTR-10 is a 10 MWt prototype pebble bed reactor at Tsinghua University in China. Construction began in 1995, achieving its first criticality in December 2000, and was operated in full power condition in January 2003.
Two HTR-PM reactors, scale ...
prototype reactor.
The reactor unit has a thermal capacity of 250MW, and two reactors are connected to a single steam turbine to generate 210MW of electricity. Its potential applications include direct replacement of supercritical coal-fired power plants, while its heat could be used for seawater desalination, hydrogen production, or a wide range of other high temperature uses in industry.
Hyperion Power Module (HPM): United States
A commercial version of a
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...
IMSR
The Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) is a nuclear power plant design targeted at developing a commercial product for the small modular reactor (SMR) market. It employs molten salt reactor technology which is being developed by the Canadian comp ...
Plant is a 2x195 MWe / 2x442 MWt SMR plant design being developed by
Terrestrial Energy
Terrestrial Energy is a Canadian nuclear technology company working on Generation IV nuclear technology
Nuclear technology is technology that involves the nuclear reactions of atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear ...
based in Oakville, Canada.
The reactor is proprietary molten salt reactor design that builds on two existing designs: the Denatured Molten Salt Reactor (DMSR) and Small Modular Advanced High Temperature Reactor (smAHRT). Both designs are from
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. multiprogram science and technology national laboratory sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and administered, managed, and operated by UT–Battelle as a federally funded research and ...
. The key technology of the IMSR® is the integration of the primary reactor components, the moderator, primary heat exchangers and pump into a sealed and replaceable vessel, the IMSR® Core-unit, which is replaced every 7 years. This solves the material lifetime challenges commonly associated with graphite moderators and molten salt use.
The thermal spectrum, graphite moderated, fluoride molten salt reactor, is fueled with Standard Assay (<5% U235)
low-enriched uranium
Enriched uranium is a type of uranium in which the percent composition of uranium-235 (written 235U) has been increased through the process of isotope separation. Naturally occurring uranium is composed of three major isotopes: uranium-238 (238U ...
(LEU) dissolved in molten fluoride-based salt. It is the only reactor in the Generation IV class that uses Standard Assay LEU fuel. Use of standard fuel simplifies licensability and international acceptance. The IMSR Plant design is under review by
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC; french: Commission Canadienne de sûreté nucléaire) is the federal regulator of nuclear power and materials in Canada.
Mandate and history
Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission was established under t ...
(CNSC) in its Vendor Design Review (VDR) program, which precedes licensing’s.
International Reactor Innovative & Secure (IRIS): United States
Developed by an international consortium led by Westinghouse and the nuclear energy research initiative (NERI),
IRIS
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
Iris or IRIS may also refer to:
Arts and media
Fictional ent ...
-50 is a modular PWR with a generation capacity of 50MWe. It uses natural circulation for the coolant. The fuel is a uranium oxide with 5% enrichment of that can run for five years between refueling. Higher enrichment might lengthen the refueling period, but could pose some licensing problems.
Iris is an integral reactor, with a high-pressure containment design.Advanced Reactors U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Modified KLT-40: Russia
Based on the design of nuclear power supplies for Russian icebreakers, the modified KLT-40 uses a proven, commercially available PWR system. The coolant system relies on forced circulation of pressurized water during regular operation, although natural convection is usable in emergencies. The fuel may be enriched to above 20%, the limit for low-enriched uranium, which may pose non-proliferation problems. The reactor has an active (requires action and electrical power) safety system with an emergency feedwater system. Refueling is required every two to three years. The first example is a 21,500 tonne ship, the
Akademik Lomonosov
''Akademik Lomonosov'' (russian: Академик Ломоносов) is a non-self-propelled power barge that operates as the first Russian floating nuclear power station. The ship was named after Russian Academy of Sciences, academician Mikhai ...
launched July 2010. The construction of the Akademik Lomonosov was completed at the St. Petersburg shipyards in April 2018. On 14 September 2019, it arrived to its permanent location in the Chukotka region where it provides heat and electricity, replacing
Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant
The Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant (russian: Билибинская АЭС []) is a Power station, power plant in Bilibino, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia. The plant is equipped with four EGP-6 reactors. The plant is the smallest and the second ...
, which also use SMR, of old EGP-6 design, to be shut down. Akademik Lomonosov started operation in December 2019.
Babcock & Wilcox
Babcock & Wilcox is an American renewable, environmental and thermal energy technologies and service provider that is active and has operations in many international markets across the globe with its headquarters in Akron, Ohio, USA. Historicall ...
(B&W) is an integrated PWR SMR. The nuclear steam supply systems (NSSS) for the reactor arrive at the site already assembled, and so require very little construction. Each reactor module would produce around 180MWe, and could be linked together to form the equivalent of one large nuclear power plant. B&W has submitted a letter of intent for design approval to the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with protecting public health and safety related to nuclear energy. Established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the NRC began operat ...
(NRC). Babcock & Wilcox announced on February 20, 2013 that they had contracted with the
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolina ...
to apply for permits to build an mPower small modular reactor at TVA's Clinch River site in
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge is a city in Anderson and Roane counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Tennessee, about west of downtown Knoxville. Oak Ridge's population was 31,402 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Oak ...
.
In March 2017 the development project was terminated, with Bechtel citing the inability to find a utility company that would provide a site for a first reactor and an investor.
NuScale: United States
Originally a Department of Energy and Oregon State University project, the NuScale module reactors have been taken over by
NuScale Power
NuScale Power is a publicly traded American company that designs and markets small modular reactors (SMRs). It is headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, United States. NuScale has been approved to build reactors in Idaho, in 2029 and 2030. The design ...
, Inc. The NuScale is a light water reactor (LWR), with fuel enrichment of less than 5%. It has a two-year refueling period. The modules, however, are exceptionally heavy, each weighing approximately 500 tons.
Each module has an electrical output of 77MWe (gross), and a single NuScale power plant can be scaled from one to 12 modules for a site output of 884MWe (net). The company originally hoped to have a plant up and running by 2018. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a final safety evaluation report on the NuScale SMR design in August 2020, approving of the safety measures and permitting NuScale to continue the next phase of their design process. More recently it is seeking approval for plans for a plant to start operating in 2026.
Energy Impact Center
The Energy Impact Center is an American research institute based in Washington, D.C. It primarily advocates for the expansion of nuclear power as a clean energy solution to climate change. The organization's research into nuclear power has led it ...
that has published the first open-source blueprints for a 100 MWe pressurized water reactor. The project is intended to standardize the construction of nuclear power plants to cut down on cost and duration. According to the design, power plants could be built in as little as two years for $300 million. It is also a template, allowing for site-specific alterations with a plus or minus 20% cost predictability. The reactor could be developed by either a utility or private company.Transcorp Energy of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
agreed to use the OPEN100 model to build the country's first nuclear reactors in July 2021.
Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR): South Africa
The
Pebble Bed Modular Reactor
The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) is a particular design of pebble bed reactor developed by South African company PBMR (Pty) Ltd from 1994 until 2009. PBMR facilities include gas turbine and heat transfer labs at the Potchefstroom Campus of ...
(PBMR) is a modernized version of a design first proposed in the 1950s and deployed in the 1960s in Germany. It uses spherical fuel elements coated with
graphite
Graphite () is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It consists of stacked layers of graphene. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on large ...
and
silicon carbide
Silicon carbide (SiC), also known as carborundum (), is a hard chemical compound containing silicon and carbon. A semiconductor, it occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite, but has been mass-produced as a powder and crystal sin ...
filled with up to 10,000
TRISO
Nuclear fuel is material used in nuclear power stations to produce heat to power turbines. Heat is created when nuclear fuel undergoes nuclear fission.
Most nuclear fuels contain heavy fissile actinide elements that are capable of undergoing ...
particles, which contain
uranium dioxide
Uranium dioxide or uranium(IV) oxide (), also known as urania or uranous oxide, is an oxide of uranium, and is a black, radioactive, crystalline powder that naturally occurs in the mineral uraninite. It is used in nuclear fuel rods in nuclear rea ...
() and appropriate passivation and safety layers. The pebbles are then placed into a reactor core, comprising around 450,000 "pebbles". The core's output is 165MWe. It runs at very high temperatures (900°C) and uses helium, a noble gas as the primary coolant; helium is used as it does not interact with structural or nuclear materials. Heat can be transferred to steam generators or gas turbines, which can use either Rankine (steam) or Brayton (gas turbine) cycles. South Africa terminated funding for the development of the PBMR in 2010 and postponed the project indefinitely); most engineers and scientists working on the project have moved abroad to nations such as the United States, Australia, and Canada.
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
(GE), the NMR is a natural circulation SMR with an electric output of 50MWe. The NMR has a much shorter Reactor Pressure Vessel compared to conventional BWRs. The coolant steam drives the turbines directly, eliminating the need for a steam generator. It uses natural circulation, so there are no coolant pumps. The reactor has both negative void and negative temperature coefficients. It uses a uranium oxide fuel with enrichment of 5%, which doesn't need to be refueled for ten years. The double passive safety systems include gravity-driven water injection and containment cavity cooling system to withstand prolonged station blackout in case of severe accidents. The NMR would require temporary on-site storage of spent fuel, and even with the modular design would need significant assembly.
Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GTMHR): United States
The
Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor
The Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR) is a class of nuclear fission power reactor designed that was under development by a group of Russian enterprises (OKBM Afrikantov, Kurchatov Institute, VNIINM and others), an American group headed ...
(GTMHR) is a
General Atomics
General Atomics is an American energy and defense corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, specializing in research and technology development. This includes physics research in support of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion energy. The ...
project. It is a helium gas cooled reactor. The reactor is contained in one vessel, with all of the coolant and heat transfer equipment enclosed in a second vessel, attached to the reactor by a single coaxial line for coolant flow. The plant is a four-story, entirely above-ground building with a 1025MWelectrical output. The helium coolant doesn't interact with the structural metals or the reaction, and simply removes the heat, even at extremely high temperatures, which allow around 50% efficiency, whereas water-cooled and fossil fuel plants average 30–35%.
The fuel is a uranium oxide coated particle fuel with 19.9% enrichment. The particles are pressed into cylindrical fuel elements and inserted into graphite blocks. For a 10MWe plant, there are 57 of these graphite blocks in the reactor. The refueling period is six to eight years. Temporary on-site storage of spent fuel is required. Proliferation risks are fairly low, since there are few graphite blocks and it would be very noticeable if some went missing.
Rolls-Royce SMR
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
is preparing a close-coupled three-loop PWR design, sometimes called the UK SMR.
The power output was originally planned to be 440MWe, later increased to 470MWe, which is above the usual range considered to be a SMR. A modular forced draft cooling tower will be used. The design targets a 500 day construction time, on a site. Overall build time is expected to be four years, two years for site preparation and two years for construction and commissioning. The target cost is £1.8billion for the fifth unit built.
The consortium developing the design is seeking UK government finance to support further development.
In 2017, the UK government provided funding of up to £56million over three years to support SMR research and development. In 2019 the government committed a further £18million to the development from its Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
In November 2021, the UK government provided funding of £210million to further develop the design, partly matched by £195million of investment by
Rolls-Royce Group
Rolls-Royce Holdings plc is a British multinational aerospace and defence company incorporated in February 2011. The company owns Rolls-Royce, a business established in 1904 which today designs, manufactures and distributes power systems for ...
, BNF Resources UK Limited and Exelon Generation Limited. They expect the first unit will be completed in the early 2030s.
Super Safe, Small & Simple (4S): Japan
Designed by the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), the 4S is an extremely modular design, fabricated in a factory and requiring very little construction on-site. It is a
sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable iso ...
(Na) cooled reactor, using a U–Zr or U–Pu–Zr fuel. The design relies on a moveable neutron reflector to maintain a steady state power level for anywhere from 10 to 30 years. The liquid metal coolant allows the use of electro-magnetic (EM) pumps, with natural circulation used in emergencies.
Stable Salt Reactor (SSR): United Kingdom
The
stable salt reactor
The Stable Salt Reactor (SSR) is a nuclear reactor design under development by Moltex Energy Canada Inc. and its subsidiary Moltex Energy USA LLC, based in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, as well as MoltexFLEX Ltd., based in the ...
(SSR) is a nuclear reactor design proposed by Moltex Energy. It represents a breakthrough in
molten salt reactor
A molten salt reactor (MSR) is a class of nuclear fission reactor in which the primary nuclear reactor coolant and/or the fuel is a molten salt mixture. Only two MSRs have ever operated, both research reactors in the United States. The 1950's Ai ...
technology, with the potential to make nuclear power safer, cheaper and cleaner. The modular nature of the design, including reactor core and non-nuclear buildings, allows rapid deployment on a large scale. The design uses static fuel salt in conventional fuel assemblies thus avoiding many of the challenges associated with pumping a highly radioactive fluid and simultaneously complies with many pre-existing international standards. Materials challenges are also greatly reduced through the use of standard nuclear certified steel, with minimal risk of corrosion.
The SSR wasteburning variant SSR-W, rated at 300MWe, is currently progressing through the Vendor Design Review (VDR) with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
Traveling Wave Reactor (TWR): United States
The TWR from
Intellectual Ventures
Intellectual Ventures is an American private equity company that centers on the development and licensing of intellectual property. Intellectual Ventures is one of the top-five owners of U.S. patents, as of 2011. Its business model focuses on ...
'
TerraPower
TerraPower is an American nuclear reactor design and development engineering company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. TerraPower is developing a class of nuclear fast reactors termed traveling wave reactors (TWR).
TWR places a small core ...
team is another innovative reactor design. It is based on the idea of a fission chain reaction moving through a core in a "wave". The idea is that the slow breeding and burning of fuel would move through the core for 50 to 100 years without needing to be stopped, so long as plenty of fertile is supplied. The only enriched required would be a thin layer to start the chain reaction. So far, the reactor only exists in theory, the only testing done with computer simulations. A large reactor concept has been designed, but the small modular design is still being conceptualized."Introducing Traveling-Wave Reactors" ''Intellectual Ventures'' /ref>
Westinghouse SMR
The Westinghouse SMR design is a scaled down version of the AP1000 reactor, designed to generate 225MWe.
After losing a second time in December 2013 for funding through the U.S. Department of Energy's SMR commercialization program, and citing "no customers" for SMR technology, Westinghouse announced in January 2014 that it is backing off from further development of the company's SMR. Westinghouse staff devoted to SMR development was "reprioritized" to the company's AP1000.
See also
*
List of nuclear reactors
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
List of United States Naval reactors
List of United States Naval reactors is a comprehensive annotated list of all naval reactors designed, built, or used by the United States Navy.
Reactor designations
Each nuclear reactor design is given a three-character designation consisti ...
List of Russian small nuclear reactors
Russia has the largest number of small nuclear reactors in the world.
'*' Once built, ELENA reactor, ELENA will be the smallest commercial nuclear reactor ever built.
See also
* Small modular reactor
* Micro nuclear reactor
* List of nuclear r ...