17 Dec (NucNet): US-based Holtec International has said it remains confident that its SMR-160 small modular reactor (SMR) unit has the greatest potential to triumph in a global marketplace and is firm in its commitment to forge ahead and bring the unit to market.
The company was responding to a Department of Energy announcement on 12 December 2013 that it had awarded funding for developing a small modular reactor design to the Oregon-based start-up NuScale.
The DOE said it will invest up to half of the total project cost through a five-year cost-share agreement, with the project’s industry partners matching this investment by at least one-to-one.
The specific total will be negotiated between the DOE and NuScale and will be derived from the total 452 million US dollars (329 million euros) identified for its small modular reactor licensing technical support programme.
The 45-megawatt NuScale Power Module was initially developed in 2000 and has been demonstrated and in testing programmes since 2003, NuScale said.
Reacting to the DOE’s announcement, Holtec president and chief executive officer Kris Singh said Holtec’s proposal included the offer to refund all federal grant funding if the company failed to licence the reactor for commercial use.
“While we are surprised that our proposal was not selected, Holtec is willing, ready and prepared to achieve success without federal funding and our team will redouble its efforts to achieve a Nuclear Regulatory Commission licence.”
The DOE said its funding will help NuScale obtain NRC design certification and achieve commercial operation “around 2025”.
