NuScale Voygr plant will have six 77-MW reactor modules
The company managing a project to build and operate a nuclear power plant comprising six small modular reactors in the US state of Utah has submitted an application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for approval to begin early construction activities.
CFPP said the application is a significant step for the project. When approved, the application will pave the way for early-scope construction which is expected to start mid-2025.
CFPP said it submitted the limited work authorisation (LWA) application as the first part of the combined licence application, or Cola. This is the first time that a standalone LWA application has been submitted in advance of the remainder of the Cola.
The second part of the Cola remains on schedule to be submitted to the NRC in January 2024, CFPP said.
The Utah SMR project, known as the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), is wholly owned by Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (Uamps), a political subdivision of the state of Utah.
Uamps provides a variety of power supply, transmission, and other services to its 50 members, which include public power utilities in seven western states: Utah, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
The project will see the construction of a demonstration NuScale Voygr SMR power plant at the Idaho National Laboratory. The facility will deploy six 77-MW modules to generate 462 MW of electricity and could be online in 2029.
Earlier this year, the Uamps consortium approved plans to continue with the project, despite costs that have increased above the target price due to high inflation and interest rate increases.
