POWER June 2016 - 50

NUCLEAR POWER
Is There a Market for Small
Modular Reactors?
The nuclear industry has been expecting big things from small modular reactors
(SMRs) for a long time, but to date, no SMRs have reached commercial
construction phase. That may change soon. Utah Associated Municipal
Power Systems has a plan to deploy NuScale Power's Integral Pressurized
Water Reactor at a site in Idaho. Will others follow suit?
Aaron Larson
T
here are currently 64 nuclear reactors
under construction around the world,
according to the International Atomic
Energy Agency. Most are large units with
capacities greater than 1,000 MW, such as
Westinghouse's AP1000 (1,110 MW), KEPCO's
APR1400 (1,400 MW), and AREVA's
EPR (1,600 MW) designs.
Conventional wisdom suggests that bigger
is better; any economist can tell you
about the benefits of economies of scale.
It's not particularly surprising that factories
realize cost advantages with increased size,
output, or scale of operation. As fixed costs
are averaged out over greater units of output,
the cost per unit decreases. Operational
efficiencies can also be achieved in many
cases, which lead to lower variable costs per
unit as well.
The Nuclear Scaling Effect
But does conventional wisdom apply to
nuclear power? Tony Roulstone, a nuclear
energy consultant and director of UK-based
Bracchium Ltd., doesn't think so. Roulstone,
speaking at the International SMR and Advanced
Reactor Summit in Atlanta, Ga., in
mid-April (POWER was a media partner for
the Nuclear Energy Insider-hosted event),
said that when you actually look at the data
from large reactors, the scaling factors just
don't work out.
" If you have a scaling factor of 0.6, if you
have a 1% increase in scale, you would expect
0.65% fall in the unit costs. But in fact,
what you find is the 1% increase in size also
has an increase in build schedule and costs
associated with that of 0.78%, and you net
the two off and you find, instead of getting
falling costs as the size goes up, you get an
increase in costs of 0.13%, " Roulstone said,
citing a study conducted by R. Cantor and
J. Hewlett.
In other words, the scaling method that is
the norm in the nuclear industry-the driver
48
behind the trend toward larger and larger reactor
designs-is flawed. The truth is, as you
get bigger reactors, they're more complex,
they take longer to build, and the benefits of
scaling are defeated.
" When you have a complex site-most
of the cost for nuclear reactors is site
work-it doesn't work, " said Roulstone.
" The scaling does apply for factory-designed
products, but there's no scaling effect
for site space work. "
Smaller = Faster
Time is not on your side when you're building
a nuclear power plant. The longer a plant
takes to build, the more it costs, and the longer
owners have to pay interest on the money
before the facility starts producing power. In
the case of large nuclear construction projects,
a history of drawn-out schedules and
incessant delays are two of the biggest factors
that keep ground from being broken on
new plants.
" Clients really like short schedules, "
Roulstone said. " They like a short construction
period because they get to revenue
more quickly. If you can get to revenue in
three years, that's great. You don't want 10
and 12 years. "
And that's where the small modular reactor
(SMR) comes into play. There are several
designs in various states of development (see
" Small Modular Reactors Speaking in Foreign
Tongues " in the January 2015 issue and
online at www.powermag.com), but the one
that seems to be making the most progress
in the U.S. is NuScale Power's Integral Pressurized
Water Reactor (IPWR, see " NuScale
Puts Single-Minded Focus on Small Modular
Reactor " in the October 2013 issue and at
www.powermag.com).
NuScale, majority-owned by Fluor Corp.,
estimates that a plant designed with 12 of its
modules (Figure 1)-a 600-MW facility-
could be constructed from mobilization to
www.powermag.com
POWER | June 2016
mechanical completion in 51 months. Completion
of discrete module systems is said
to allow earlier electricity generation, as the
first modules to be constructed can begin
operating while later modules are still being
installed. Factory manufacturing and modu1.
NuScale module. The standard
design for a NuScale small modular reactor
(SMR) facility includes twelve 50-MW modules,
like the one shown here, for a total station
capacity of 600 MW. Courtesy: NuScale
Power
http://www.powermag.com http://www.powermag.com http://www.powermag.com

POWER June 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER June 2016

Contents
POWER June 2016 - Cover1
POWER June 2016 - Cover2
POWER June 2016 - Contents
POWER June 2016 - 2
POWER June 2016 - 3
POWER June 2016 - 4
POWER June 2016 - 5
POWER June 2016 - 6
POWER June 2016 - 7
POWER June 2016 - 8
POWER June 2016 - 9
POWER June 2016 - 10
POWER June 2016 - 11
POWER June 2016 - 12
POWER June 2016 - 13
POWER June 2016 - 14
POWER June 2016 - 15
POWER June 2016 - 16
POWER June 2016 - 17
POWER June 2016 - 18
POWER June 2016 - 19
POWER June 2016 - 20
POWER June 2016 - 21
POWER June 2016 - 22
POWER June 2016 - 23
POWER June 2016 - 24
POWER June 2016 - 25
POWER June 2016 - 26
POWER June 2016 - 27
POWER June 2016 - 28
POWER June 2016 - 29
POWER June 2016 - 30
POWER June 2016 - 31
POWER June 2016 - 32
POWER June 2016 - 33
POWER June 2016 - 34
POWER June 2016 - 35
POWER June 2016 - 36
POWER June 2016 - 37
POWER June 2016 - 38
POWER June 2016 - 39
POWER June 2016 - 40
POWER June 2016 - 41
POWER June 2016 - 42
POWER June 2016 - 43
POWER June 2016 - 44
POWER June 2016 - 45
POWER June 2016 - 46
POWER June 2016 - 47
POWER June 2016 - 48
POWER June 2016 - 49
POWER June 2016 - 50
POWER June 2016 - 51
POWER June 2016 - 52
POWER June 2016 - 53
POWER June 2016 - 54
POWER June 2016 - 55
POWER June 2016 - 56
POWER June 2016 - 57
POWER June 2016 - 58
POWER June 2016 - 59
POWER June 2016 - 60
POWER June 2016 - 61
POWER June 2016 - 62
POWER June 2016 - 63
POWER June 2016 - 64
POWER June 2016 - 65
POWER June 2016 - 66
POWER June 2016 - Cover3
POWER June 2016 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/pwr_march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/pwr_february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/pwr_january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/pwr_december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/pwr_november-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/re-tech-supp-to-power-september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-and-re-tech-supp-september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/Power-October-2022-140th-Anniversary-Supp
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/Power-October-2022-and-Anniversary-Supp
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-and-re-tech-supp-september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/Power-July-2022-Intl
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2022-intl
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2022-intl
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/Power-April-2022-Intl
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-top-plants-supp-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-april-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-march-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-february-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-january-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-december-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-november-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-october-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-september-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-august-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-july-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-june-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/accessintelligence/POWER/power-may-2010
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com