“Miniature” in nuclear terms is still pretty big. The modules are small enough to fit on flat-bed trucks, but they would stand nearly nine stories tall. Moreover, a power plant would probably require several modules hooked together like giant batteries. Of course, they’d need to be operated by professional nuclear engineers.
But the design — a radical departure from other nuclear plants — would also have advantages.
Each module uses less uranium fuel, making a large-scale meltdown far less likely. The fuel would be housed in a special containment vessel that would be submerged in a pool of water, an added safety feature. And rather than using pumps of the sort that failed during the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the reactor would circulate the water using natural convection. The company maintains the design is simpler and safer than existing reactors.
NuScale formally completed its design submission to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday. The 12,000-page application will now undergo a lengthy review by the NRC, which must approve the design before construction can begin.
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