Small Scale Nuke Real & Ready

January 30, 2023

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has certified a small modular nuclear reactor design by NuScale Power Corp. The Department of Energy said small scale nuclear is real and ready for deployment. At 300 MW, about one-third the size of large-scale reactors, NuScale’s design is fabricated in a factory instead of onsite. Refueling occurs every 3-7 years versus every 1 to 2 years, and construction takes 3 to 5 years, or half as long. NuScale has 19 signed agreements to deploy, but increasing supply and finance costs have slowed projects.