Doosan Enerbility is to begin manufacturing main equipment for NuScale small modular reactors (SMRs), under a newly signed agreement which marks a milestone for the production of the NuScale Power Module.

Park (on the left) and Hopkins pictured at the signing ceremonyat Doosan Tower in Seoul (Image: Doosan)

Under an agreement signed on 25 April, the Korean company could begin production of forging materials for the reactors this year, with full-scale equipment manufacturing expected to begin by the latter half of 2023. Specifically, Doosan will begin production of forging dies for the upper reactor pressure vessel. These are expected to be used in the first commercial deployment of a NuScale VOYGR power plant for Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems' (UAMPS) Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP) which is to be built at a site at the Idaho National Laboratory in the USA.

Doosan Enerbility - under its former name of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction - in 2019 signed a business collaboration agreement with NuScale for the supply of NuScale Power Modules and other equipment and, together with Korean financial investors, has made an equity investment of nearly USD104 million in the Portland, Oregeon-based SMR company. The Korean company completed a manufacturability review in January 2021 and Doosan is now working on component prototype development.

Doosan Enerbility has "continuously solidified" its strategic cooperative relationship with NuScale and made "full preparations" for SMR manufacturing, its chairman and CEO Geewon Park said. "The growing market demand for SMRs will also open the door for participation of our subcontractors," he added.

NuScale President and CEO John Hopkins said the company was proud to partner with Doosan. "Today's announcement showcases NuScale's commercial readiness and signals to the world that NuScale is truly the frontrunner in the race to bring SMRs to market," he said.

The NuScale Power Module is a pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single unit, generating 77 MWe, which in September 2020 became the first SMR design to receive approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NuScale offers the units as VOYGR plants: a VOYGR-12 power plant comprising 12 modules is capable of generating 924 MWe. The company also offers four-module and six-module plants and other configurations based on customer needs. The CFPP is intended to be a six-unit VOYGR plant.

NuScale is undergoing a merger with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp after which the company will become publicly traded. The company's majority investor is Fluor Corporation.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News