WILLIAM TUCKER: Nuclear Begins a New Era
By William Tucker
Things
began to look much better for nuclear last week as the Department of
Energy finally got around to awarding the first grant for construction
of an experimental small modular reactor (SMR).
Nothing has been negotiated yet and the amount hasn’t even
been announced, but Babcock & Wilcox, Bechtel and the Tennessee
Valley Authority look like they’re on their way to applying for a
license to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Of course the irony here
is that the company estimates securing design approval will cost $500
million. The pot being distributed by DOE is only $450 million and it
wants to make two grants, so B&W is likely to get only $250 million,
which will cover barely half the costs of design certification! Never
mind the actual construction of a prototype, that will come later.
Oh well, at least it’s a start. SMRs are creating a lot of
excitement. Ameren, the Missouri utility, went so far as to hold a
suppliers’ summit last month for constructing a prototype of
Westinghouse’s SMR. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has expressed high
hopes of turning his state into a manufacturing center if they ever go
into production. Ameren and Westinghouse were disappointed last week
but say they are ready to apply for the next round. http://www.nucleartownhall.com/blog/william-tucker-nuclear-begins-a-new-era/
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