A major step forward in congressional support for the next generation of nuclear reactor technology took place this past week with the introduction in the Senate of the bipartisan Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA),
It is seen across the board by a coalition of nine nuclear industry organizations as an important step in creating a comprehensive blueprint to bring these designs to fruition.
The reintroduction of NELA came during Nuclear Innovation Week, a joint collaboration of the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, Nuclear Energy Institute, American Nuclear Society, Electric Power Research Institute, and Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear, among others. These groups are focused on both industry and policy activities necessary to make recent innovations in nuclear reactor and fuel design a reality. 
The Nuclear Energy Leadership Act, or “NELA” as it is known, aims to “spur development of demonstration projects at the Department of Energy, which could become an important source of carbon-free electricity generation.” (Full Text) (Section by Section Summary in Plain English)
NELA was reintroduced in the Senate with a renewed push to make it into law. It has broad support from the nuclear community as well as from climate advocates and industry leaders. A key voice is Bill Gates who tweeted “I can’t overstate how important this is.”
The Seattle-based online newsletter Geekwire has more details on Gates’ enthusiastic endorsement of the legislation and its implications for his nuclear start-up TerraPower.
Key Provisions of NELA
To compete with state-owned or state-sponsored developers in “rival nations” – namely Russia and China – the bill encourages significant collaboration between the federal government, national laboratories, and private industry. The act directs the DOE to establish specific goals and ultimately demonstrate advanced reactors with the private sector.
The bill seeks to “define and establish” a domestic market for advanced nuclear reactors by extending term limits for federal power purchase agreements (PPAs) from the current 10 years to 40 years.
The bill requires the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy to develop a 10-year plan to support advanced nuclear R&D goals.
The bill calls for plans to boost the development of fast reactors. The technology also authorizes plutonium to be used and recycled several times. It calls for further development and eventual production of high assay low enriched fuel (HALEU).
To help advance US-developed fast reactor technology, the bill directs the DOE to construct a fast reactor research facility. DOE has begin work to launch the Versatile Test Reactor project. NELA, if passed, can make the project become a reality.
NucNet reports that just a few fast reactor concepts have been demonstrated and only two such units are in full commercial operation. In late 2016 Russia began commercial operation of the Beloyarsk-4 BN-800 sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor and also operates the Beloyarsk-3 BN-600 fast neutron unit, which began commercial operation in 1981, at the same site. Efforts by China, India, and Japan to develop commercial fast reactors have remained in the R&D stage.
The law firm Logan and Lovells, which publishes commentary on new nuclear matters on its blog, wrote this week that there were advances on the regulatory front as well during Nuclear Innovation Week.
The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), an NRC committee focused on reactor safety issues, penned a letter to the Chairman of the NRC recommending the final version of DG-1353, guidance on technology-inclusive, performance-based, risk-informed regulatory reviews for non-light water advanced reactors.
The ACRS found that with some modifications to the guidance, DG-1353, along with accompanying NEI industry guidance, NEI 18-04, that advanced reactor entrepreneurs could now develop a licensing basis and the other contents of NRC license applications.
In its blog post Hogan and Lovells note that industry-led pilot projects as part of the Licensing Modernization Project (LMP) have served as mechanisms to test the ability of this guidance to inform development of NRC submittals. The objective of LMP is to develop technology-based, risk-informed, and performance-based regulatory guidance for licensing non-LWRs for the NRC’s consideration and possible endorsement.
List of NELA Co-sponsors
Senators sponsoring the legislation include: Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Cory Booker, D-New Jersey; James Risch, R-Idaho; Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia; Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island; Cory Gardner, R-Colorado; Chris Coons, D-Delaware; Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska; Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois; Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina; Michael Bennet, D-Colorado; Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia; and Rob Portman, R-Ohio.
NEI’s Korsnick Calls For Financial Support for US Industry
Exports to Meet Competition from Russia and China
(NucNet): The US International Development Finance Corporation must be allowed to support nuclear energy projects as the country fights to catch up and stay competitive in the sector, Nuclear Energy Institute president and chief executive officer Maria Korsnick said in her state of the industry address this week.
Korsnick said the US needs significant investment and bold policy to maintain its position as a world leader in nuclear safety, technology, and operations.
The International Development Finance Corporation, scheduled to begin operation by the end of the year, will be an executive agency of the federal government responsible for providing foreign aid through the financing of private development projects. Its creation was signed into law by president Donald Trump in October 2018.
Korsnick noted that nearly two out of every three reactors being built around the world are built by China or Russia.
“They are making massive investments, expanding their domestic fleet, and developing new technologies. Their efforts to promote nuclear power internationally are core parts of their foreign policy – including 100-year relationships with some nations – and America is falling behind.”
She also said export financing is a critical priority and without a fully functioning Export-Import Bank, US nuclear suppliers cannot compete in a global market on international tenders. She called on the Senate to confirm a quorum on the bank’s board and for Congress to reauthorize the bank itself.
~ Other Nuclear News ~
Westinghouse Takes Another Run at Developing an SMR
After several earlier false starts, including a complete withdrawal in 2014 from efforts to enter the market, Westinghouse buoyed with a $12.9 million grant from the Department of Energy, is making another go of it. The firm said it will spend $28.9 million to demonstrate the readiness of the technology of its 25-MWe eVinci micro-reactor by 2022.
The government money, which is covering about half of the costs, will go toward design, analysis, licensing to manufacture, siting, and testing work.
According to Power Magazine, eVinci’s is envisioned to operate autonomously. Its reactor core is a solid-steel monolith that features channels for fuel pellets, the moderator (metal hydride), and heat pipes, which are arranged in a hexagonal pattern.
Conceptual Design of the eVinci SMR – Image: Westinghouse
The monolith will serve as the second fission product barrier (the fuel pellet is the first barrier) as well as the thermal medium between the fuel channels and heat pipes. The heat pipes will extract heat from the core using a technology based on thermal conductivity and fluid phase transition.
Key Technical Attributes
On its website Westinghouse said the reactor’s small size and innovative design set it apart. (Technical Profile – PDF file) Here’s a short list.
- Transportable as a reliable energy generator
- Fully factory built, fueled and assembled
- Output of 25 MWe electrical
- Up to 600ºC process heat for petro chemical and other industrial uses
- 5- to 10-year life with walkaway inherent safety
- Target less than 30 days for onsite installation
- Autonomous load management capability
- Proliferation resistance through encapsulation of fuel
- Minimal moving parts
Challenges Ahead for a New Design
Westinghouse told Power Magazine that it faces several key challenges. First among them is getting enough HALEU fuel. The Department of Energy is supporting multiple efforts to address that issue including a contract to produce it by Centrus Corp by 2020 and deployment of a HALEU-based TRISO-X fuel fabrication pilot line at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Other issues which are faced by all SMR developers include the question of how many deals are needed to be inked in its order book to get investors to provide the funds for factory production facilities.
Because the design is unique, Power Magazine noted that Westinghouse will have to go through the long and expensive safety evaluation process at the NRC. The firm told Power Magazine it faces “first of a kind” challenges in licensing, instrumentation, remote reactor monitoring, and logistics.
“These challenges require careful risk management and planning, but they are not considered showstoppers and their management is part of the Westinghouse eVinci reactor development program.”
December Construction start for Chinese 125 MWe SMR
(WNN) China’s Ministry of Environment is proceeding to build an ACP100 small modular reactor (SMR) at Changjiang, Hainan, with construction to begin by the end of this year.
According to Chinese publication Nuclear World, construction is expected to take 65 month with the 125 MWe unit expected to start up by May 2025.
According to data about the ACP100 in the IAEA “SMR Book,” The ACP100 is a multipurpose power reactor designed for electricity production, heating, steam production or seawater desalination and is suitable for remote areas that have limited energy options or industrial infrastructure.”
The design, which has 57 fuel assemblies and integral steam generators, (see table right) incorporates passive safety features and will be installed underground.
A two-unit ACP100 plant will be located on the northwest side of the existing Changjiang nuclear power plant, according to the 22 March announcement. The site is already home to two operating CNP600 PWRs, with two Hualong One units also planned for construction at that site.
Small Modular Reactors Have Big Potential Market in UK,
Says Government-Funded Report
(NucNet): Micro nuclear reactors (MNRs) are a feasible option for the UK and have a potential market in the hundreds by 2030, a new government-funded report has concluded.
The report, produced by Nuvia, WSP and Atomic Acquisitions, concludes that there is great potential for development of MNRs between 2030 and 2035.
It says MNRs, typically under 30 MW, could bring significant economic benefits to the UK but must be “decisively supported” because they will only proceed with clear support and facilitation of political, regulatory and financial factors.
The study, Market and Technical Assessment of Micro Nuclear Reactors, says;
“Due to their size and unique characteristics, there are several potential market opportunities for MNRs. A potential global accessible market of up to 2,850 megawatts has been estimated by around 2030,” the report says.
“A potential MNR industry could enable the UK to grow indigenous civil nuclear reactor manufacturers gaining intellectual capital at low entry cost. At present this core part of the civil nuclear supply chain is not provided in the UK.”
In its conclusions the report says key advantages of micro reactors include simplicity of design, including safety systems; potential ease of construction through factory construction; lower overnight cost of each unit resulting in ease of financing; and the possibility of placing reactors in remote locations.
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