Study finds NuScale power technology can provide dependable and profitable energy support for …

h-pressure steam, allowing for a more efficient and reliable system.
The study highlighted that NuScale’s advanced nuclear technology, when combined with a heat augmentation system, offers a profitable and reliable solution for providing steam and electric power to commercial chemical plants. This partnership between NuScale Power Corporation and Oak Ridge National Laboratory resulted in a comprehensive techno-economic assessment (TEA), which explored the feasibility and profitability of incorporating NuScale’s Power Module (NPM) with a U.S. chemical facility.
Dr. José Reyes, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at NuScale Power, emphasized the significance of this assessment, showcasing how the scalable architecture of NuScale’s technology can meet the demands of industrial users by delivering high-temperature steam and electricity. He expressed pride in the collaboration with ORNL and recognized the U.S. Department of Energy’s support under the GAIN initiative, enabling the exploration of new opportunities with small modular reactors.
Engineers from NuScale and ORNL collaborated over the past two years to conduct the TEA, analyzing various steam and power generation configurations to fulfill the chemical plant’s energy demands efficiently and cost-effectively. Utilizing NuScale’s uprated 77 MWe/250 MWt NPM design with a steam heat augmentation system, the study evaluated factors such as steam reliability, operational costs, and system stability. The assessment demonstrated that the hybrid NPM/gas integrated energy system offered maximum flexibility for optimizing energy usage and profitability.
Key findings from the study indicated that the 12-NPM plant configuration was the most profitable, allowing for excess power to be sold to the grid. Additionally, a minimum configuration of 4-NPM combined with boilers could meet all of the chemical plant’s requirements. An 8-NPM setup could provide N-2 redundancy, ensuring very high reliability in operations. The study also revealed that various hybrid combinations, involving NPMs and gas-fired boilers, were both viable and profitable.
Furthermore, the study confirmed that the NuScale integrated energy system could meet the chemical plant’s steam and power requirements while generating excess power for export to the grid. By using reliable, commercially available equipment and high-pressure steam, the system minimized costs and enhanced efficiency. This assessment underscores the capability of NuScale’s advanced nuclear technology, combined with a heat augmentation system, to offer a reliable and profitable energy solution for commercial chemical plants.