Holtec International
The UK’s preference for expanding nuclear power as a greener force has gone beyond the November acquisition of China’s nuclear power plant and a 50% stake in the megaproject’s corporate plans on England’s east coast.
The government also receives proposals from groups on the structure and progression of small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) technologies, according to a report published Friday via Engineering News-Record.
“The UK is at a tipping point as it goes through this energy crisis,” said Richard M. Springman, Senior Vice President, Holtec International.
“It will require complementary nuclear power plant designs based on the generation of pressurized water reactors that are already in operation. . . to ensure carbon-free force safety in ten years, and we want to start now. “
In a Dec. 19 announcement, London-based Balfour Beatty said it had reached an agreement with Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the U. K. department of Jupiter, Florida-based nuclear power company Holtec International.
The pact targets the engineering and structure of the US developer’s SMR-160 pressurized freshwater reactor in Britain, which would produce 160MW of electrical power and could make Balfour Beatty one of the first British contractors to build an SMR in Britain.
“We look forward to working with Holtec International to advance blank energy solutions,” said Stephen Tarr, managing director of Large Transportation, Energy and Energy Projects at Balfour Beatty.
“Our partnership will build on our long-standing enjoyment and experience in delivering nuclear projects and, ultimately, the UK’s transition to a Net Zero future. “
The government’s voluntary design acceptance process, covering waste management, environmental coverage, and reactor defense and security, will be introduced through Holtec the following year. However, the authorization procedure for site-specific facilities is independent of the site.
Construction of the first unit is expected to begin in 2028 and, by 2050, the company aims to have 32 SMR units operational, totaling 5. 1 GW of capacity.
Under the contract, “the parties will expand the day-to-day work department for the procurement and commissioning of SMR-160 plants in the UK,” according to Holtec.
In addition, they will “jointly expand a load estimate for [the] deployment of the SMR-160 in the UK based on Holtec’s design. “
Gareth Thomas, director of Holtec Great Britain, said the company had discovered 3 imaginable locations in the UK, two in England and one in Wales, which would be ideal for hosting “the first wave of Holtec SMR-160”.
Rolls-Royce also said on Dec. 19 that the company is contemplating three sites to build factories that would manufacture parts for the fleet of small modular reactors (SMRs) to be manufactured in the United Kingdom.
“The High Pressure Vessel (HPV) plant will produce parts for a fleet” of SMR, according to the announcement.
“This is a component of the construction procedure for the first of at least 3 plants that will manufacture factors for a fleet of small modular reactors and provide an opportunity for a UK region,” said Tom Samson, managing director of SMR at Rolls. -Royce.
“Our power stations will be built in UK factories in the north of England or Wales and will generate tens of thousands of highly professional jobs over the long term, accelerating regional economic growth. “
“A fleet of Rolls-Royce SMR power stations” will ensure the safety of the UK force and contribute to net-zero emissions targets by generating low-carbon electricity from a sustainable source for generations in the long term, the company said.
North Carolina-based GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, which recently announced it has submitted a design review application for regulatory approval, is another candidate to implement SMR in Britain.
The company said it wants to build its three-hundred-MW BWRX-300 plant, which would use some of GE’s more complex boiling water reactor technology.
Another U. S. compact reactor company, NuScale Power Corp. , which was the first to obtain U. S. design approval. In the US, it also plans to introduce its generation in the UK.
However, most of those tech companies follow the effect of economic turmoil on project prices and progress, as do other developers and market watchers.
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