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Small modular nuclear reactors not likely before mid-2020s

Posted at 12:22 pm April 13, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

TVA-SMRs-at-NRC-Meeting-April-12-2016

The Tennessee Valley Authority plans to apply by May 12 for an early site permit that could allow small modular nuclear reactors at the Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge, possibly as soon as the mid-2020s. Pictured above at a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission meeting to discuss the early site permit on Tuesday, April 12, 2016, is Dan Stout, TVA senior manager for small modular reactors. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The small modular nuclear reactors being evaluated for the Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge could provide an emissions-free fuel source, but it could be a decade or so before they start operating. And that’s assuming all goes according to plan, officials said Tuesday.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is evaluating the possibility of building the small modular reactors, or SMRs, at the 1,200-acre Clinch River Site. To help prepare for the project, TVA plans to apply for what is known as an early site permit, or ESP, for the Oak Ridge project from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission by May 12.

The NRC had two public meetings at Oak Ridge Associated Universities on Tuesday to discuss the safety and environmental review process related to the TVA permit application.

The early site permit application will allow the NRC to evaluate site safety, the environment, and emergency preparedness for future SMRs at the Clinch River Site. That site is in west Oak Ridge just north of the Clinch River and Interstate 40, south of Heritage Center (the former K-25 site), and between Highway 95 and Highway 58 in a bend of the Clinch River.

The review of TVA’s application for an early site permit could take about three years, and maybe longer if any groups raise legal challenges, said Scott Burnell, NRC public affairs officer. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Government, Slider Tagged With: B&W, Babcock and Wilcox, Bechtel, Clinch River, Clinch River Breeder Reactor, Clinch River Site, Dan Stout, early site permit, ESP, Heritage Center, Idaho National Laboratory, Jim Hopson, Mary Olson, mPower, NRC, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, NuScale, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Scott Burnell, small modular nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, SMR, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Taylor Allred, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Westinghouse

Small nuclear reactors on Clinch River could power several cities the size of Oak Ridge

Posted at 12:43 pm March 26, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Clinch-River-Site-Bear-Creek-Road-Entrance-March-27-2016

The small nuclear reactors that could be built along the Clinch River could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge. The Bear Creek Road entrance to the Clinch River Site, where the reactors could be built by the Tennessee Valley Authority, is pictured above on Sunday, March 27, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The small nuclear reactors that could be built along the Clinch River could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge. They could also be, depending upon the timing, the first commercial reactors of their type in the United States.

They’re known as small modular reactors, or SMRs. They could generate 80 to 200 megawatts each. One hundred megawatts is enough to power about 60,000 homes. Oak Ridge has about 12,000 homes.

Several companies are working on SMR designs, but so far none have been certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said Jim Hopson, public relations manager for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

By May 12, TVA plans to submit an application to the NRC for what is known as an early site permit to build SMRs on the Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge. Hopson likened an early site permit, or ESP, to a pre-approval for a home loan, although he said that is an oversimplification.

“It’s similar to pre-approving yourself for a loan,” Hopson said Friday. “You get the preliminaries out of the way.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Government, Slider, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: B&W, Babcock and Wilcox, carbon-free sources, Clinch River Breeder Reactor, Clinch River Site, DOE, early site permit, electricity, energy generation portfolio, ESP, generation portfolio, Jim Hopson, mPower, NRC, nuclear power, nuclear reactor, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORNL, small modular reactors, small nuclear reactors, SMR, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Watt Bar 2 nuclear plant

B&W seeks investors on program to build small nuclear reactors in Oak Ridge

Posted at 9:04 am November 14, 2013
By John Huotari 11 Comments

TVA Clinch River Site

The Babcock and Wilcox Co. has invested more than $360 million in a project that could result in a small nuclear reactor at the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor Site in west Oak Ridge, pictured above. (Photo courtesy Tennessee Valley Authority)

The Babcock and Wilcox Co. has already invested more than $360 million in a project that could result in a small nuclear reactor in west Oak Ridge, and now the North Carolina company is looking for investors and possibly majority owners.

The mPower small modular reactor, or SMR, program is expected to have a nuclear power plant operating at the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor Site by 2022. Initially, it could have two small reactors, a “twin pack,” and produce 360 megawatts.

On Wednesday, Marshall Cohen, B&W vice president for government affairs and communications, said the company is seeking major corporations who are interested in taking a “strong position,” up to and including ownership, including majority ownership.

“We would reduce our ownership to one that really matches the scope of work going forward,” Cohen said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: B&W, Babcock and Wilcox Co., Bechtel, Christofer Mowry, Clinch River Breeder Reactor Site, DOE, E. James Ferland, Generation mPower LLC, GmP, investors, JP Morgan, majority owners, Marshall Cohen, mPower, mPower small modular reactor, nuclear fuel, Oak Ridge, reactor module, small modular reactor, Small Modular Reactor Licensing Technical Support Program, small nuclear reactor, SMR, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Department of Energy

TVA, B&W sign agreement for small nuclear reactor at Clinch River Site

Posted at 2:16 pm February 20, 2013
By Tennessee Valley Authority Leave a Comment

The Tennessee Valley Authority and Babcock and Wilcox announced Wednesday a major step in their joint effort to build and test the nation’s first small modular reactor at TVA’s Clinch River Site in Oak Ridge.

TVA and B&W signed a contract Feb. 7 that formalizes the process toward the eventual submittal and Nuclear Regulatory Commission review of a licensing application for a B&W mPower small modular reactor, or SMR, nuclear plant at Clinch River.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Roane County, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: B&W, Babcock and Wilcox, Clinch River Site, DOE, Joe Hoagland, licensing, mPower, NRC, nuclear plant, nuclear reactor, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, small modular nuclear reactor, SMR, SMR Licensing Technical Support Program, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Department of Energy

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Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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