Investing.com -- NuScale Power Corp., the only company in the U.S. to have approval for a small nuclear reactor, has won regulatory approval for a second design. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) formally authorized the company’s 77-megawatt reactor design, as stated on Thursday.
This follows NuScale’s 2020 approval for a smaller, 60-megawatt version of the reactor, marking a first for the industry. According to the NRC, the approval allows the NuScale design to be referenced in an application for a construction permit or operating license under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, or an application for a combined license or manufacturing license under 10 CFR Part 52.
However, the NRC clarified that the issuance of this standard design approval (SDA) does not constitute a commitment to issue a permit, design certification, or license. It also does not affect the authority of the Commission, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, or other presiding officers in any proceeding on an application for a construction permit, operating license, combined license, or manufacturing license that references the SDA, conducted under 10 CFR Part 2.
NuScale Power Corp. is expected to have its new reactor design in service by the end of the decade.
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