i-Nuclear update: Westinghouse and Ameren Missouri sign pact to license, build SMR at Callaway

Westinghouse and Ameren Missouri sign pact to license, build SMR at Callaway by I-Nuclear

Westinghouse has entered into an agreement with Missouri-based utility Ameren Missouri to jointly solicit US Department of Energy funding to license and build the Westinghouse SMR at the Callaway nuclear power plant site in Missouri.

The Westinghouse SMR is a 225-MWe integral pressurized water reactor (PWR), with all primary components located inside of the reactor vessel.  It utilizes passive safety systems and modular construction techniques.

The DOE issued a “funding opportunity announcement” March 22 noting the availability of investment funds of up to $452 million to develop small, modular reactors or SMRs.

The DOE plans to consider SMR applications that incorporate passive safety features and that can be licensed expeditiously, achieving a commercial operation date on a US domestic site by 2022.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ameren Missouri will become part of and co-chair a Westinghouse-led Utility Participation Group made up of Missouri utilities, non-Missouri utilities and industrial firms interested in seeking the DOE funds to develop and license the Westinghouse SMR technology, Westinghouse said in a statement April 19.

If DOE funding were secured, Westinghouse and Ameren Missouri would then work collectively to seek design certification of the Westinghouse SMR and a combined construction and operating license from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.