Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Research in the works at the Idaho National Laboratory

Mark Reinhardt- Boise Idaho A form of Nuclear Reactor long used on U.S. Navy ships is being researched for commercial use in different parts of the world, including Utah and Idaho. An SMR, or Small Modular Reactor 1, is being built at the Idaho National Laboratory through a partnership with NuScale Power for the purpose of commercial power generation. This initiative is being built through the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, or UAMPS for short. It is a cooperative group of municipalities whose purpose is to finance electric utilities. The Carbon Free Power Project is an initiative funded by UAMPS, spanning multiple states. In Idaho, it covers the area of Idaho Falls to the city of Twin Falls.

Wood MacKenzie is a Corporate Research Firm for the Mining and Energy Sectors. According to an article written by Green Tech Media, a Wood MacKenzie corporation website, the development of SMR technology had run into regulatory hurdles with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. One issue mentioned was that of technological designs. The article stated, “Many SMR designs use novel technologies and construction techniques, and regulators have to issue licenses based on developer proposals rather than real-life plants.” Citing a Boise State University study 2, the economic benefits of the SMR Power Plants were listed as: • Estimated 1,600 jobs created over the construction period of the plant. • Through indirect and induced effects, plant operations will add a total of 667 jobs in the region each year over the estimated 40–to 60-year lifetime of the facility. • Plant operations are estimated to increase labor income in the region by nearly $48 million. • Increase economic output in the region by an estimated $81.15 million. • Add $2.97 million to local and state tax revenues annually. • Add $10.86 million to federal tax revenues annually. In an email, Diane Hughes, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for NuScale Power, discussed the current project timeline, “Commercial operation dates are dictated by the customer. As UAMPS has worked through a new comprehensive budget and plan of finance for the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), it has revised the project schedule to align with the timing of UAMPS Member energy needs and other financial and project developments.” In a video posted to its YouTube channel, NuScale Power described the environmental footprint of various forms of power sources on land use. Proponents of Nuclear Power have argued that Small Modular Reactors can mitigate the impacts of climate change. However, according to a paper issued by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists,3 “There is no realistic prospect that small modular reactors can make a significant dent in the need to transition rapidly to a carbon-free electricity system. To invest in them is to throw good money after bad. “ In the paper, it stated that there was still a great deal of risk from accidents and nuclear proliferation from SMR’s. It also pointed out that the US Government was fined billions of dollars for its failure to clean up spent nuclear fuel from nuclear reactors it had already built. In addressing the issue of Nuclear Waste from its SMR devices, Diane Hughes of Nuscale Power said, “The NuScale plant design incorporates proven safe, secure, and effective used fuel management systems. Used fuel is stored underwater in a stainless steel lined concrete pool for at least five years.” She did not discuss plans for storage of the used fuel after that five-year period. The lifespan of the SMR is set at 60 years according to NuScale Power. https://web.evs.anl.gov/uranium/faq/uproperties/faq5.cfm Healthy Environmental Alliance of Utah had a study commissioned by financial firm Energy Strategies4 related to the NuScale project. They covered five different energy portfolios related to energy output and cost. All the portfolio’s, including the ones with Carbon based energy, added as a mix with solar and wind energy, were found to be cheaper than the inclusion of the Small Modular Reactors.

https://s24.q4cdn.com/104943030/files/doc_downloads/factsheet/NuScale-SAFER-Fact-Sheet.pdf NuScale Power offers power plants ranging in size from utilizing 1 to as many as 12 modules. “Each NuScale Power Module™ (NPM) can generate 77 megawatts electricity (MWe).”5 The Idaho National Laboratory in a report, focused on the premise of Nuclear Power replacing Coal generated Power Plants. The case study summary found the State of Montana was receptive to replacing a Coal Powered Plant with a Nuclear Power Plant at one of the rural communities in the area.

Transitioning Coal Plants t... by Mark Reinhardt

In October 2020, S&P Market Intelligence described how power shutdowns due to water shortages caused by climate change can cause Power Plants to shut down. 6Not every municipality in the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems service area decided to stay with the Carbon Free Power Project. The City of Logan Utah, pulled out according to S&P Market Intelligence, “The Logan City Council's resolution cited "increased projected costs" as the primary reason for the city's withdrawal.”7 As the cost of building Nuclear Power plants continues to go up, the cost of renewables continues to go down. The effort continues to revive the aging nuclear industry by using public dollars. The NuScale Corporation project titled, “The Carbon Free Power Project” is expected to come online in 2029, in Idaho Falls. 1 https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/so-what-exactly-are-small-modular-nuclear-reactors 2 https://www.nuscalepower.com/projects/carbon-free-power-project 3 https://www.inrag.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Can-small-modular-reactors-help-mitigate-climate-change.pdf 4https://www.healutah.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Energy-Strategies-Study_Analyzing-the-Cost-of-Small-Modular-Reactors-and-Alternative-Power-Portfolios.pdf 5https://s24.q4cdn.com/104943030/files/doc_downloads/factsheet/nuscale-smr-fact-sheet.pdf 6 https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/climate-change-poses-big-water-risks-for-nuclear-fossil-fueled-plants-60669992 7 https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/utah-city-abandons-small-modular-reactor-project-60077135