28 May (NucNet): NuScale Power has finalised a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) that will allow it to receive up to 217 million US dollars (159 million euro) in funds over five years for the development of a small modular reactor (SMR) design.
Oregon-based NuScale said it will use the funds to perform the engineering and testing needed for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s design certification process for its NuScale Power Module SMR technology.
NuScale expects to submit the application for design certification in the second half of 2016. This will allow NuScale to meet a commercial operation date of 2023 for its first planned project, in Idaho, with partners Energy NorthWest and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems.
NuScale was picked as the winner of the second round of funding for the US Department of Energy’s cost-sharing programme to develop SMR technology in December 2013.
