September-October 2018 NPJ

Nuclear Plant Journal, September-October 2018 NuclearPlantJournal.com 27 b. US NRC’s Combined Operating License issuance. NuScale expects its first customer UAMPS to submit a combined construction and operation license application (COLA) in 2021, with the NRC issuing the COL by the end of 2023. c. Date for commencement of construction. UAMPS nuclear construction (i.e., first safety related concrete) will commence in 2023 with the first module operational by 2026. d. Tentative fuel loading date and tentative connection to the grid. We expect the initial fuel loading of the first NuScale SMR to occur several months prior to commercial operation of the module. 6. What innovations have been planned in the systems, instrumentation and controls of the plant in the last two years? NuScale Power is leading the way in how energy is generated, and it all starts with a smarter way of looking at energy generation. Our design eliminates many costly and complex systems found in current large, pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear plants while repetitive factory fabrication cuts time and cost of production. The result will be a power source that is safe, reliable, scalable, carbon-free, and economical. Continuous improvement is an outcome of NuScale’s value engineering program, which is aimed at reducing the capital and operational costs of our technology. Most notably, in June 2018, NuScale Power announced that its SMR can generate 20 percent more power than originally planned – a huge technological advance and offers overall improved economics for our future customers. Advanced testing and modeling tools helped NuScale identify optimization opportunities and increased power generation. In June 2017, the NRC approved NuScale’s Highly Integrated Protection System (HIPS) platform as the basis for its Module Protection and Plant Protection Systems. The HIPS uses field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology that is not vulnerable to internet cyber-attacks. In January 2018, the NRC concluded that application of NuScale’s novel safety design approach eliminates the need for class 1E power for its SMR. Class 1E is the regulatory standard set for the design of safety related nuclear power plant electrical systems. It’s a ground-breaking development because no operating nuclear plant in the country can make that claim. At the American Nuclear Society (ANS) Annual Meeting in June 2018, NuScale cofounder and chief technology officer Dr. Jose Reyes presented results of a collection of landmark NuScale resiliency studies showing that, compared to those currently operating, NuScale’s design is the most resilient commercial nuclear power plant in the world. These resiliency studies were conducted over a three-year period and required a momentous level of effort to rigorously analyze NuScale’s design and demonstrate its resiliency in a number of areas: nuclear safety, operational reliability, external events, disaster mitigation and grid resiliency. 7. What new material technology has been utilized in the Power Module? NuScale’s SMR design uses proven commercially available materials and fuel for its plant components. 8. How has computer modeling been utilized in the development of Power Module? NuScale has used state-of-the-art thermal hydraulic, reactor physics and seismic analysis computer codes for the design of the NuScale Power Module™. Our thermal hydraulic codes have been validated using test data obtained from NuScale test facilities around the world and independently audited by the NRC. Contact: Mariam Nabizad, NuScale Power, telephone: (971) 470-2791. we see that there are many benefits to be gained by incorporating digital I&C into today’s nuclear plant. And we need to set the stage for use of those technologies in future generations of nuclear plants. NEI formed a digital I&C working group to engage industry experts with the NRC staff to resolve the high priority technical issues, to improve the regulatory infrastructure and to facilitate efficient implementation of digital I&C projects. 8. Do we have a green light yet, for upgrading the reactor protection system and other safety-related systems? We expect to see the NRC finalize a revision to the guide that’s going to be issued for public comment and, we think, published for utility use by the end of 2018. 9. How can the nuclear power plants get the same rate basis like other renewables? To the extent that policymakers value low emissions or carbon reduction, then it’s our view that state policies focused on supporting renewable energy generation should evolve to become technology neutral clean energy standards. If the goal is to eliminate carbon emissions or other air emissions, then the policy shouldn’t prescribe specific technologies. The states should prescribe a policy outcome and allow nuclear and other zero emissions technologies to compete on a level playing field with renewable technologies that are currently favored under state Renewable Portfolio Standards or Goals (RPSs). We did see one key step forward in policies to promote new nuclear deployments. NEI worked over the past year to remove the deadline on the production tax credit for new nuclear. This change will support the effort to complete the Vogtle project and perhaps SMRs and advanced reactors. There’s still work to be done, we believe, to more fully value nuclear and what it delivers to our energy markets. Contact: Mary Love, NEI, telephone: (202) 739-8000, email: media@nei.org . Overcoming Industry... ( Continued from page 25)