The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors has approved $150m in additional advanced nuclear funding to support continued design work and TVA’s planned development of small modular reactors (SMRs) at its Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. An initial $200m was approved at TVA’s February 2022 board meeting making a total of $350m now allocated to the project.
“We believe advanced nuclear technologies will play a critical role in our region and nation’s drive toward a clean energy future,” said TVA President & CEO Jeff Lyash. “Small modular reactors are an energy innovation technology that America must dominate – for our energy security, which is really our national security.”
“Tennesseans appreciate TVA’s continued investment in safe, clean and reliable nuclear energy for the future. This additional investment, coupled with the state’s focus on creating a nuclear energy ecosystem, will ensure Tennessee is the number one state for nuclear energy companies to invest and thrive, driving continued opportunity and economic growth,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.
Maria Korsnick, President & CEO of US nuclear trade organisation, The Nuclear Energy Institute, said the additional funding was a significant investment that was “critical to our industry’s ongoing efforts to construct and deploy advanced nuclear technologies in the US”. She added: “TVA’s continued investment in next-generation nuclear plays a vital role in fostering innovation and driving progress within our industry.”
TVA said in an information paper that the New Nuclear Program provides a disciplined, systematic roadmap for TVA’s exploration of advanced nuclear technology, both in terms of various reactor designs being proposed and potential locations where such facilities may be needed in the region to support future energy needs—as outlined in TVA’s Strategic Intent and Guiding Principles. TVA can leverage recent and ongoing experience in constructing and operating large-scale energy projects, including completing Watts Bar Nuclear Unit 2 in 2016.
TVA has the first early site permit in the US for SMRs from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the Clinch River Nuclear Site. Advanced reactor designs under evaluation for the site’s Advanced Nuclear Technology Park include both light-water and non-light-water cooled reactors, with more than a dozen vendors providing TVA detailed information to support the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.
Light-water reactor technology is considered most ready for deployment near-term, TVA noted, and the New Nuclear Program is preparing an NRC construction permit application for a BWRX-300, SMR at the Clinch River Nuclear Site, subject to required environmental reviews and Board approval.
TVA’s New Nuclear Program is looking at a variety of advanced nuclear technology options “that might help meet both our near- and long-term generation needs including SMRs”. Some SMR designs, such as the BWRX-300, use elements of proven technology and new innovations that simplify construction, maintenance, and operations to achieve a cost efficient and reliable design. These designs can also leverage the existing nuclear supply chain, including fuel supply, to increase cost effectiveness and reduce risk.
TVA said its efforts are supporting a path from first-of-kind technology deployment to cost effective commercial deployment at scale, but that additional support and collaboration will be needed. “Government and policy support is needed to realise the benefits of new nuclear. First-of-a-kind nuclear technology, like any innovative technology, carries financial and technical risks better shared by multiple partners.”
Key national, regional and industry leaders have partnered with TVA and are supportive of its plans for advanced nuclear technology. However, federal government support is also essential to the advancement of first-of-a-kind technology deployment, due to the risks and additional costs that are inherent to the technology deployment process. “In order to reach its long-term net-zero carbon emissions aspirations, TVA will need to consider multiple clean energy technologies, including SMRs, and government support will be critical to timely deployment of SMR technologies in the United States.”
Technology collaboration is needed. “We cannot pursue new nuclear technology alone; this must be a national effort that we do in partnership with other utilities, research institutes, and state and federal governments.”
GE Hitachi is developer of the BWRX-300 design being evaluated for deployment. TVA also has a two-party agreement with GE Hitachi as an early step, not a design selection, to support planning and preliminary licensing for a potential deployment of a BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Clinch River site. “This agreement will help inform a future decision about deployment and enable the refinement of cost and schedule estimates to support a future decision on project authorisation,” TVA noted.
OPG is also participating in the BWRX-300 SMR design for its deployment in Canada; two years ahead of TVA’s proposed deployment timeframe. OPG and TVA have a collaboration agreement that facilitates sharing of experiences that could reduce the financial risks of innovating new technology while taking advantage of both companies’ extensive nuclear energy experience.
“We at OPG share TVA’s conviction that nuclear power will play a crucial role in meeting increasing demand for low-carbon electricity and energy security,” said OPG President & CEO Ken Hartwick. “Our partnership with TVA and others on the standard design of the BWRX-300 will expedite the new nuclear generation necessary to help reliably power our growing, electrified economies.”
Synthos green energy is similarly participating in the BWRX-300 SMR design, which is being evaluated for deployment in Poland. Orlen Synthos Green Energy and TVA also have a collaboration agreement to facilitate sharing of experiences and reduce the financial risks of innovating new technology.
In April 2022, TVA joined a consortium assembled by Kairos Power with other North American utilities (including Bruce Power, Constellation, and Southern Company) to help further develop the Kairos Power advanced fluoride salt cooled high temperature reactor (KP-FHR). TVA was already supporting Kairos Power through an agreement from May 2021 to provide engineering, operations, and licensing support to help Kairos Power deploy its low-power demonstration reactor, named Hermes, at the East Tennessee Technology Park (ETTP) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, just a few miles from TVA’s Clinch River site.
In March 2022, TVA and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced a partnership to promote, pursue, evaluate, and demonstrate the feasibility, operability, and affordability of utility-scale carbon-free technologies. The agreement covered exploring light water SMRs and fourth-generation advanced nuclear reactors, building on an earlier 2020 advanced reactor technology memorandum of understanding.
“Our nation must deploy affordable and reliable carbon-free technologies like small modular reactors to power the world and to maintain economic competitiveness in global markets, said ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer. “East Tennessee has long been home to the development, design and application of fission technologies that benefit the region and the nation. ORNL’s world-leading researchers and capabilities stand ready to work alongside TVA and the skilled nuclear workforce in Tennessee to deliver affordable, reliable and clean nuclear energy for generations to come.”
In addition, TVA and the University of Tennessee (UT) announced an agreement in April 2020 to explore new nuclear technologies with the support of UT’s advanced modelling and simulation tools. This supported the evaluation and potential demonstration and operation of light-water or non-light-water fission reactors that build on the success of the current generation of reactors and will also leverage the expertise of UT’s nuclear engineering department. The partnership also provides an opportunity to engage with students and prepare the nuclear workforce of the future, TVA said.
Randy Boyd, President, University of Tennessee System said TVA “stands as a testament to what visionary leadership and a commitment to uplifting communities can accomplish” He added: “As we stand on the cusp of a new era, it’s time for our collective efforts to converge once again. UT, in partnership with Tennessee’s community colleges and colleges of applied technology, are prepared to cultivate the skilled workforce essential to advancing the nuclear industry.… Together we can pave the way for a sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come.”
