Federal nuclear regulators have approved an uprated version of NuScale Power's small modular reactor design, a milestone for the advanced reactor company and for the broader effort to deploy factory-built nuclear units in the United States. The standard design approval covers a higher-output version of the modular reactor, increasing the power each module can deliver.
NuScale has been the furthest along in the US licensing process among small modular reactor developers, and the approval strengthens its position as utilities and large power users evaluate advanced nuclear options. Small modular reactors are designed to be built in factories and assembled on site, an approach intended to reduce the construction risk and cost overruns that have challenged large conventional plants such as recently completed projects in the Southeast.
Interest in the technology has grown alongside rising electricity demand. The company has pursued deployment programs with utilities and public power agencies, including a large multi-gigawatt initiative announced with an energy developer and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Technology companies seeking carbon-free power for data centers have added to the demand signal, with several signing agreements tied to advanced nuclear capacity.
Challenges remain before small modular reactors reach commercial operation. No such reactor has yet entered commercial service in the Western world, and developers must still complete construction permits, financing, and supply chain arrangements. The design approval removes one regulatory hurdle and gives prospective customers greater certainty on the reactor's licensed parameters, a step the industry views as necessary to move projects from planning toward construction.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy - https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/nrc-approves-nuscale-powers-uprated-small-modular-reactor-design