Nuclear

THE BIG PICTURE: Small and Medium-Sized Reactors (SMRs)

A “who’s doing what” addendum to "THE BIG PICTURE: Advanced Fission" in our November 2012 issue.

Argentina: Site excavation for a 27-MW CAREM prototype—integral-type pressurized light water reactor (LWR) design—began in 2011.

Brazil: Design for a 70-MW fixed bed nuclear reactor that does not need onsite refueling has been developed.

China: China has developed 300-MW and 600-MW pressurized water reactors (PWRs); two units of CNP-600 are under construction.

France: Flexblue, a 150-MW nuclear plant to be placed on the seabed and connected to the power grid, is under development.

India: Twenty-one heavy water reactors (HWRs) of 220-MW, 540-MW, and 700-MW capacity are in operation or under construction.

Japan: The island nation is developing a 4S reactor, a 10- to 50-MW sodium-cooled fast reactor.

Pakistan: Two CNP-300 units imported from China are under construction at CHASNUPP Units 3 and 4.

Russia: Construction is continuing on KLT-40S, a small floating reactor for specialized applications. Six other light water-cooled SMRs and the SVBR-100, a 100-MW small fast reactor with lead-bismuth eutectic alloy as coolant, are under development.

Slovakia: Two WWER-440 units are under construction at Mochovce Units 3 and 4; operations are slated to begin in 2012 and 2013.

South Korea: A pilot for the System-Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART) design, intended for seawater desalination, has been launched; licensing approval is expected soon, as is start of construction for a 100-MW prototype.

U.S.: Four light water–cooled PWRs are under development: mPower (twin-pack with two 185-MW modules), NuScale (45-MW modules), 145-MW Holtec Inherently Safe Modular Reactor (HISMUR), and the 225-MW Westinghouse SMR. Nuclear Regulatory Commission certification is expected between 2013 and 2015. The 335-MW IRIS and 311-MW PRISM (a liquid metal–cooled fast breeder reactor) projects are also under way, while a 150-MW gas turbine modular helium reactor is in conceptual design phase.

See also:
Water-Cooled Reactors
Fast-Neutron Systems
Gas-Cooled Reactors

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