A coalition of engineers led by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has applied to the Department of Energy for an $800m grant to speed up the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the US.
The coalition includes Bechtel, SMR developers BWRX-300, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, and a number of utilities.
The department offered the grant in October with the aim of accelerating the first deployments of generation III+ SMRs.
The TVA is planning to locate them near Oak Ridge in Tennessee, for which it already has an early site permit.
TVA president Jeff Lyash said the grant will bring forward its schedule by two years, enabling the first unit to go online in 2033. He said it would also help to establish a domestic supply chain.
He said: “We believe advanced nuclear technologies will play a critical role in our region and nation’s drive towards greater energy security. Enabling and accelerating this technology will take innovation and partnership, as well as discipline and hard work.”
Duke Energy, which is a member of the coalition, said the members would pool their resources to build up the US’ heavy engineering base.
Duke also announced that it had entered into an agreement with GE Hitachi to advance the licensing process for the BWRX-300 design.
The company said: “This agreement, along with participation in the potential US SMR coalition, will provide another avenue for Duke Energy to exchange valuable insight and best practices with TVA and other collaborators as they implement GE Hitachi’s SMR technology.”
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