Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued its final rule in the Federal Register to certify NuScale Power’s small modular reactor. The company’s power module becomes the first SMR design certified by the NRC and just the seventh reactor design cleared for use in the United States.
The rule takes effects February 21, 2023 and equips the nation with a new clean power source to help drive down emissions across the country.
The design is an advanced light-water SMR with each power module capable of generating 50 megawatts of emissions-free electricity.
NuScale’s VOYGR™ SMR power plant can house up to 12 factory-built power modules that are about a third of the size of a large-scale reactor. Each power module leverages natural processes, such as convection and gravity, to passively cool the reactor without additional water, power, or even operator action.