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NRC recommends early site permit for Clinch River Nuclear Site

Posted at 8:48 am April 8, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

TVA Clinch River Site

The Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge is pictured above. The road running from bottom to top on the right (east) side of the Clinch River connects to Bear Creek Road in southwest Oak Ridge. Highway 58 is off to the top left of the photo and the Heritage Center is to the north. (Photo courtesy TVA)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 11:30 a.m.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a final environmental impact statement, and the staff has recommended, based upon the environmental review, issuing an early site permit for the Clinch River Nuclear Site in west Oak Ridge, where two or more small modular nuclear reactors could be built.

The final environmental impact statement, or EIS, was issued by the NRC on April 3. A notice of the EIS and the staff’s recommendation was published in the Federal Register on Monday, April 8.

The 935-acre Clinch River Nuclear Site is located in Roane County along the Clinch River. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, Clinch River Nuclear Site, Clinch River Site, early site permit, EIS, environmental impact statement, Federal Register, Jim Hopson, NRC, nuclear power, small modular nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, SMRs, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Committee recommends approving early site permit for Clinch River Nuclear Site

Posted at 1:40 pm April 2, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

TVA Clinch River Site

The Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge is pictured above. The road running from bottom to top on the right (east) side of the Clinch River connects to Bear Creek Road in southwest Oak Ridge. Highway 58 is off to the top left of the photo and the Heritage Center (the former K-25 site) is to the north. (Photo courtesy TVA)

 

A federal safety committee has recommended that an early site permit be approved for small modular reactors at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in west Oak Ridge.

The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards recommended the approval in a January 9 letter to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The letter was signed by Michael L. Corradini, committee chair. The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards reports on the parts of an early site permit application that concern safety. The committee’s recommendation does not appear to have been previously reported.

An early site permit evaluates the suitability of a site for the potential construction and operation of a nuclear power plant. The permit application for two or more small modular reactors at the 935-acre Clinch River site was submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority in May 2016. TVA said the reactors could generate up to 800 megawatts of electricity.

In a presentation to the Advisory Committee on December 6, TVA outlined what it appears to consider advantages of the Clinch River Nuclear Site: access to 500 kilovolt and 161 kilovolt transmission lines; being a neighbor to the U.S. Department of Energy, an interested customer; strong community support; and access to basic infrastructure and an abundant and skilled workforce. Also, TVA owns and controls the site, the public utility said in a presentation by Dan Stout, director of nuclear technology and innovation. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Government, Slider Tagged With: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, Clinch River Nuclear Site, Clinch River Site, Dan Stout, early site permit, Michael L. Corradini, NRC, nuclear power plant, small modular reactors, SMR, SMRs, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Nuclear Suppliers Workshop in Oak Ridge in September

Posted at 10:15 pm August 8, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Nuclear Suppliers Workshop Oak Ridge September 6-7 2017 Oak Ridge

The East Tennessee Economic Council and the U.S. Nuclear Infrastructure Council are having a Nuclear Suppliers Workshop in Oak Ridge in September.

The workshop is September 6-7 at the Pollard Technology Conference Center in Oak Ridge.

The focus of the event will be on manufacturing opportunities arising in the southeastern United States around small modular reactors, next generation nuclear technology, nuclear medicine, and national security programs, a press release said.

Invited speakers include senior executives from the Tennessee Valley Authority, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, NuScale Power, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Terrestrial Energy, University of Tennessee, Duke Energy, and others. The final agenda is still under development, the press release said. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, College, Education, Federal, Government, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: AECOM, Centrus Energy, CNS Y-12, Consolidated Nuclear Security, Duke Energy, East Tennessee Economic Council, MS Technology/MillenniTEK, national security, nuclear construction, nuclear facilities, nuclear industry, nuclear manufacturing, nuclear medicine, Nuclear Suppliers Workshop, nuclear technology, NuScale Power, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, ORAU, Pollard Technology Conference Center, small modular reactors, Teledyne-Brown Engineering, Tennessee Valley Authority, Terrestrial Energy, U.S. Nuclear Infrastructure Council, University of Tennessee, Y-12 National Security Complex

NRC has accepted TVA’s early site permit application for small nuclear reactors

Posted at 4:55 pm March 26, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

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

The Tennessee Valley Authority applied for an early site permit in May 2016 that could help prepare for 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 on the early site permit on Tuesday, April 12, 2016, is Dan Stout, TVA senior manager, small modular reactors. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority submitted an application last May for an early site permit for small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs, at the Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC, accepted the application for “docketing and detailed technical review” in December.

The early site permit application is for two or more SMRs.

A specific reactor design has not been selected. The NRC said TVA has identified parameters for a surrogate nuclear plant, and the NRC will use them to evaluate the site’s suitability for building and operating a new nuclear plant.

“If NRC determines that the site is suitable for the building and operation of a new nuclear plant, prior to building and operation of a plant at the site, NRC would need to review and approve an additional application from TVA (either a combined license (COL) or a construction permit (CP)) that includes a specific reactor design,” the NRC said on its website.

The project’s timeline, which includes a detailed technical review, is now in the hands of the NRC, and it will likely take several years, TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said Friday. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Government, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: Clinch River Site, Dan Stout, early site permit, Joe Grimes, NRC, Scott Brooks, small modular reactors, SMR, SMRs, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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

Reminder: NRC has public meetings on small nuclear reactors today

Posted at 1:16 am April 12, 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)

 

Reminder: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will have two public meetings in Oak Ridge today (Tuesday, April 12). The meetings are to discuss the safety and environmental review process related to a Tennessee Valley Authority permit application for small modular reactors at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in west Oak Ridge.

TVA expects to submit what is known as an early site permit, or ESP, application by May 12.

One of the topics to be discussed today is how and when the public may participate in the NRC review process, if desired, a NRC meeting notice said. “The public is encouraged to ask questions about the NRC review process for this ESP Application,”

Two sessions are scheduled in the auditorium of the Pollard Technology Conference Center at 210 Badger Avenue in Oak Ridge.

The first is scheduled from 1-4 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, and the second is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. Prior to each formal session, there will be an informal one-hour open house to give the public an opportunity to speak informally with the NRC staff. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Government, Slider Tagged With: Bear Creek Road, Clinch River Nuclear Site, Clinch River Site, early site permit, ESP, Jim Hopson, NRC, nuclear power plant, Oak Ridge, Pollard Technology Conference Center, small modular nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, small nuclear reactors, SMR, Tennessee Valley Authority, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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

NRC to discuss TVA application process for small modular reactors in Oak Ridge

Posted at 7:41 pm March 23, 2016
By John Huotari 7 Comments

TVA Clinch River Site

The Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge, where small modular reactors could be built. (Photo courtesy TVA)

 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will be in Oak Ridge in April to discuss the safety and environmental review process related to a Tennessee Valley Authority permit application for small modular reactors at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in west Oak Ridge.

TVA expects to submit what is known as an early site permit, or ESP, application by May 12.

“A key topic to be discussed is how and when the public may participate in the NRC review process, if desired,” a NRC meeting notice said. “The public is encouraged to ask questions about the NRC review process for this ESP Application.”

Two sessions are scheduled in the auditorium of the Pollard Technology Conference Center at 210 Badger Avenue in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Front Page News, Government, Meetings and Events, Top Stories Tagged With: Clinch River Nuclear Site, early site permit, ESP, NRC, Oak Ridge, permit application, Pollard Technology Conference Center, review process, small modular reactors, Tennessee Valley Authority, TVA, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Alexander: Bill raises Office of Science funding to highest-ever, includes UPF, supercomputing, cleanup funding

Posted at 7:05 pm May 19, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

A bill approved by a U.S. Senate subcommittee on Tuesday would give $5.144 billion to the federal agency that oversees work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It’s the highest level of funding ever for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, which oversees 10 national labs, including ORNL, federal officials said.

The bill would also provide $430 million for the proposed Uranium Processing Facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex, which will “continue to keep this project on time and on budget,” according to a press release from the office of U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican.

Alexander’s office also said the legislation would provide funding for:

  • a new mercury treatment plant in Oak Ridge,
  • cleanup of nuclear facilities that are no longer in service,
  • nuclear infrastructure at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and
  • advanced computing, which supports the new Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The bill was unanimously approved on a voice vote by the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development on Tuesday afternoon. Alexander is chair of that subcommittee, and he said the approval shows that there is bipartisan support for energy research, waterways, and national security. [Read more…]

Filed Under: East Tennessee Technology Park, Federal, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: advanced computing, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, Appropriations Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, ARPA-E, Chickamauga Lock, cleanup, Dianne Feinstein, energy research, exascale computing, hot cells, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, isotope production, isotopes, ITER, Lamar Alexander, mercury treatment, National Nuclear Security Administration, national security, nuclear facilities, nuclear power, nuclear waste, nuclear waste storage, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Office of Science, ORNL, physical sciences, science, small modular reactors, summit, Summit supercomputer, supercomputer, technology, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Senate, uranium processing facility, waterways, Y-12 National Security Complex

DOE announces new investment in small modular reactors

Posted at 12:24 pm December 16, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

mPower Containment

Conceptual drawing of an underground containment structure housing two B&W mPower reactor modules. (Image courtesy B&W)

The U.S. Department of Energy last week announced a second round of funding for small modular reactors.

The first award, announced earlier this year, provided support to Babcock and Wilcox Co. through a program that could result in small modular reactors at the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor site in west Oak Ridge. In November, B&W announced it had already invested more than $360 million in that project, and the North Carolina company was looking for investors and possibly majority owners.

DOE said the new award was given to Oregon-based NuScale Power LLC to support a new project to design, certify, and help commercialize innovative small modular reactors in the United States.

The department said the reactors could provide clean, safe, and cost-effective nuclear energy, and build on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to “continue America’s leadership in clean energy innovation.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: B&W, Babcock and Wilcox Co., Climate Action Plan, Clinch River Breeder Reactor, DOE, Energy Department, Ernest Moniz, Lamar Alexander, Nuclear Energy, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NuScale Power LLC, President Obama, Small Modular Reactor Licensing Technical Support, small modular reactors, U.S. Department of Energy

Lecture to focus on whether small reactors can rejuvenate nuclear power

Posted at 12:30 pm November 17, 2013
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

Kent Williams

Kent Williams

A retired distinguished staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will discuss Thursday evening whether small modular nuclear reactors, such as the one proposed in west Oak Ridge, can rejuvenate nuclear power.

The presentation by Kent Williams starts at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Fellowship Hall at First Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge.

Many people in the nuclear industry say that small modular reactors, or SMRs, are key to a revitalized nuclear industry in the U.S. and overseas because of their projected market, safety, and economic characteristics, a press release said. One SMR plant has been proposed at the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor site in west Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Community, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation, AFORR, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME, Clinch River Breeder Reactor, First Presbyterian Church, Kent Williams, nuclear industry, nuclear plants, nuclear power, nuclear reactors, Oak Ridge Reservation, small modular reactors, U.S. Department of Energy

DOE award could lead to small nuclear reactors in Oak Ridge

Posted at 7:14 pm November 20, 2012
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was updated at 8:12 p.m.

Four small nuclear reactors could be built on the Clinch River in west Oak Ridge in about a decade under a federal award announced Tuesday.

In its announcement, the U.S. Department of Energy said it will invest up to half of the total cost of the project to design, license, and help commercialize the new small modular reactors, or SMRs. The investment will come through a five-year cost-sharing agreement.

The project will be led by The Babcock & Wilcox Co, which is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., and has a business unit that oversees the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. The company’s partners on the SMR project are Bechtel and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: B&W, Bechtel, Clinch River Site, DOE, nuclear reactors, Oak Ridge, small modular reactors, SMR, Tennessee Valley Authority, The Babcock and Wilcox Co., U.S. Department of Energy

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Classifieds

Public Notice: Comment period extended for Draft EA for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12

EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING … [Read More...]

Public Notice: Draft Environmental Assessment Available for Lithium Production Facility at Y-12

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING FACILITY AT THE Y-12 … [Read More...]

Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment for the Oak Ridge Enhanced Technology and Training Center (ORETTC) (DOE/EA-2144), Finding of No Significant Impact, and Wetland Statement of Findings

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announces the … [Read More...]

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