The US Army has signed contracts totaling 2.2 billion dollars (1.89 billion euros) with five companies for the construction and operation of small nuclear power plants. These so-called small modular reactors (SMR) are initially intended to equip five military bases in the USA, a US Army representative Jeff Waxman, who oversees energy issues among other things, reported on Wednesday. Currently, no SMR is in operation in the USA.
“We know that our internal power grid is potentially vulnerable,” Waxman said. “We also know that in conflict situations, we cannot always deliver fossil fuels unhindered to where we need them.” According to him, the army’s critical infrastructure currently “relies on liquid fossil fuels, primarily diesel,” in the event of a loss of connection to the conventional power grid.
Vulnerability of the grid and strategic necessity
Among the five selected companies are two startups, Antares Nuclear and Radiant Industries, as well as well-known nuclear industry corporations Westinghouse and General Atomics. Small nuclear power plants, known by the English abbreviation SMR, are significantly smaller than conventional nuclear power plants. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), a typical SMR has an electrical capacity of up to 300 megawatts.
In the USA, a total of five companies have developed SMR prototypes that can operate autonomously, without external power supply and, at least theoretically, independently generate electricity. However, only the reactor project of the company NuScale has so far received approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
Military certification and commercial prospects
Waxman noted that the US military has its own certification process adapted to their needs. This already allowed the US Navy in 1954 to lay the USS “Nautilus” — the world’s first nuclear submarine, whose reactor is considered the predecessor of modern SMRs.
The military is working with the Department of Energy and the NRC to “maximize the alignment of our regulatory processes,” Waxman continued. Thus, companies developing SMRs for the military will be able to go through the process “from army approval to, hopefully, further NRC approval.” After that, companies will be able to sell their reactors to industrial enterprises or municipalities.
The area required for an SMR varies depending on the type of reactor. In one example, a manufacturer of energy equipment estimates the required area for an SMR at approximately 10,000 square meters, which is less than two football fields. For comparison, a conventional nuclear power plant requires an area of one to two square kilometers, which is approximately 140 to 280 football fields.
Source: Der Spiegel
