Federal regulators have completed the fourth phase of review of the design by NuScale Power of a small modular reactor, which the Tennessee Valley Authority is considering building in Oak Ridge. The entire review by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of NuScale's new nuclear plant design is now in Phases 5 and 6.
NuScale's technology is the world's first and only SMR to undergo design certification review by the NRC.
"The completion of Phase 4 of the NRC's design review certification process is an unprecedented step forward for our company and for the advanced nuclear industry overall," NuScale CEO John Hopkins said.
As NuScale's first customer, the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems is planning a 12-module SMR plant in Idaho slated for operation by the mid-2020s based on the NRC's certified design. In preparation for its first SMR plant in the U.S., NuScale has also signed agreements to explore the deployment of its technology in Canada, Jordan, the Czech Republic, and Romania.