Progress Updates on the SMR Program in the United States and Future PlansIAEA TWG-SMRJuly 10, 2019

Melissa BatesProgram ManagerNuclear Reactor Deployment

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Existing Fleet Advanced

Reactor Pipeline

Fuel Cycle Infrastructure

Mission Focus

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Laboratory-Directed R&D

Idaho National Laboratory

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Argonne National Laboratory

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Sandia National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Competitively-Selected R&D

U.S. Industry Opportunities for Advanced Nuclear Technology Development

NE-Voucher Program (GAIN)

Consolidated innovative Nuclear Research (CINR)

Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR)

Research & Development Sponsored by DOE-NE

Department of Energy - Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE)

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Challenges to Baseload Nuclear Power

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Energy Reimagined

NOW

FUTURE

e-Industrial Applications

Baseload Electricity Generation

SMRs

Micros

Large LWRs

Non-WaterReactors

Hydrogen Production

Clean WaterChemical Processes

Flexible Electricity Generation

Heat{Advanced Reactors

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Sustaining the Existing Fleet

• Improving Performance and Reducing Costs– Non-electric applications to improve flexibility and increase

revenue generation– LWRS – subsequent license renewal and technical

improvements– Accident Tolerant fuel – enhanced performance and safety– NEAMS – advanced modeling and simulation

• Policy and Market Reform Support– Improve nuclear economics with technology neutral policies– Ensure critical attributes are properly valued– Risk-informed, performance-based regulation

• State and Local Technical Assistance, Education and Outreach

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@GAINnuclear

Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN)

MissionProvide the U.S. nuclear energy industry with access to technical, regulatory and financial support necessary to move innovative nuclear energy technologies toward commercialization in an accelerated and cost-effective fashion.

A private-public partnership framework aimed at rapid and cost-effective domestic development of innovative nuclear energy technologies towards market readiness

https://gain.inl.gov

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National Reactor Innovation Center

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Nuclear Energy Research and Development Budget

$100M for Advanced SMR R&D

$65M for Versatile Advanced Test Reactor R&D

$112.7M for Accident Tolerant Fuels

$50M for Crosscutting Competitive R&D

$31M for Advanced Modeling & Simulation

Nuclear Energy FY 2019 R&DBudget Highlights

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The U.S. SMR Program

• The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy is in its Eighth Year of Direct Support for U.S. Small Modular Reactor Technologies!

• NE has long recognized the potential benefits of advanced SMR technologies – Safety, Cost, Siting Flexibility, Resilience, and Economic and Job Growth

• Interest in replacing retiring fossil plants spurred interest in SMRs in the early 2010’s

• FY2012 – FY2017: SMR Licensing Technical Support Program focused on earlier stage design development, certification, and licensing

• Two SMR funding opportunities focused on:– Ability to certify, license, and deploy an SMR

in the early to mid-2020’s– Innovations in safety and operations

• Program successfully met the goal of assuring that the most viable US SMR designs established a licensing pathway

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Advanced SMR Research and Development Program

• In 2019, DOE initiated a new program for advanced SMR research and development

• Supports Office of Nuclear Energy goal “Establish an Advanced Reactor Pipeline”• Fiscal year 2019 budget is $100 M• Program Goal: To support cost-shared, design-related research and

development for multiple advanced reactor designs to introduce these technologies into domestic and international markets

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Nuclear Industry Funding Opportunity Announcement

• NE Support Vehicle for U.S. Nuclear Industry Initiatives• Supports innovation and competitiveness of the industry by establishing

private/public partnerships on cross-cutting applied research, development, and demonstration activities

• Three tiers of projects– FOAK Nuclear Demonstration Readiness projects – Mature technologies able to deploy in

mid-to-late 2020’s – Advanced Reactor Development projects – Technology development that will have an impact

on safe, efficient and economic plant operations.– Regulatory Assistance grants – Supports resolution of regulatory/certification issues.

• Open for 5 years, quarterly reviews, maximum flexibility• Requires 20-50% cost share from applicant• Supported by existing program funding, or earmarks• To date, 26 awards have been made for approximately $128M (total funding)

https://www.id.energy.gov/NEWS/FOA/FOAOpportunities/FOA.htm

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Industry FOA Awards that Support SMR Development

• NuScale Power - NuScale Small Modular Reactor First-Of-A-Kind Nuclear Demonstration Readiness Project (Phase 1 and 2)

• BWXT - Establishment of an integrated advanced manufacturing and data science driven paradigm for advanced reactor systems

• Columbia Basin Consulting Group, LLC - Conceptual Engineering for a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) power plant based on Lead-Bismuth Fast Reactor (LBFR) Technology

• EPRI - Experimental Verification of Post-Accident Integrated Pressurized Water Reactor (iPWR) Aerosol Behavior, Phase 3

• Holtec International - Advancing and Commercializing Hybrid Laser Arc Welding (HLAW) for Nuclear Vessel Fabrication, Including Small Modular Reactors

• Pittsburgh Technical, LLC - Regulatory Support for Advanced Light Water Reactor Deployment: Advanced Boiling Water Reactor Source Term Reduction

• SMR, LLC - Integral and Separate Effects Test Program for the Investigation and Validation of Passive Safety System Performance of SMRs

• EPRI - Establishing Modular In-Chamber Electron Beam Welding• PSE&G, Rolls-Royce NA, INL - Integrated Risk-Informed Condition Based Maintenance

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NuScale Design Certification Application

• NuScale submitted an SMR Design Certification Application (DCA) to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in January 2017

• Partnered with UAMPS for the first SMR deployment in 2026 at a site on the Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

• DCA Review on schedule, projected January 2021 completion (potential to accelerate to September 2020)

• Recent successes include:– Addressing significant licensing issues, (e.g., reduced need for

off-site power and reduced control room staffing requirements)– Key component prototyping underway (e.g., ECCS valves)– Selected BWX Technologies, Inc. to support major systems

manufacturing of the Nuclear Power Module• Recent public announcement of several potential

international customers, including Canada, Jordan, and Romania

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NuScale Technology Overview

• NuScale Power is developing nuclear technology to produce electricity and also process heat for a variety of industrial applications, including desalinization for the production of clean water.

• The NuScale Power Module™ (NPM) is a 60-MWe integral PWR:– Small enough to be factory built for easy transport and installation– Dedicated power conversion system for flexible, independent operation– Can be incrementally added to match load growth up to 12 modules for

720 MWe gross, (~680 net) total output

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NuScale Baseline Design Certification Review Schedule

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Carbon Free Power Project

• Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) to have first potential SMR deployment (12-module plant)

• Preferred location within the INL site• DOE awarded a cost-shared cooperative agreement to

perform site selection, secure site and water, and prepare combined operating license application (COLA) to NRC

• Goal for commercial operation is 2026• TVA and UAMPS to collaborate on “reference” portions of COLA• DOE pursuing PPA for INL’s electricity needs• DOE researching potential implementation of a Joint Use Modular

Plant (JUMP) for Research and Development activities

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Tennessee Valley Authority – Clinch River Site

• Submitted Early Site Permit (ESP) Application to NRC in May 2016 for Clinch River Site near Oak Ridge, TN

• NRC review progressing ahead of schedule:– Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) issued letter to

Commission recommending ESP issuance.– Final Environmental Impact Statement issued on April 3, 2019– Final Safety Evaluation Report issued on June 14, 2019– NRC Mandatory Hearing anticipated mid-August 2019– Issuance of ESP in 1st or 2nd quarter FY2020,

contingent on commission approval

“The early site permit for the Clinch RiverNuclear Site should be issued.”

In late 2018, TVA issued an Integrated Resource Plan

that opens door for boosting resiliency through

SMRs

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Questions?