Energy Department’s New Innovation Center Will Be a Testbed for New Reactor Tech
Nextgov | 8/15/2019
The National Reactor Innovation Center will bring all stakeholders together to build and test—and ultimately field—new ideas in nuclear energy production.
The Energy Department’s national labs are dedicated to helping the sector deliver energy to the American people. When it comes to nuclear power, the department opened a new innovation center to help industry develop new processes and technologies, specifically around reactors.
The National Reactor Innovation Center opened Wednesday, housed within the Idaho National Laboratory. The initiative—greenlit and funded through the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act that went into effect last year—is similar in structure to the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear, or GAIN, which began in late 2015. The new innovation center will operate in conjunction with GAIN by continuing to work with industry,
while also bringing in the other national labs, federal agencies and academia.
The new center “provides private sector technology developers access to the strategic infrastructures and assets of the national laboratories,” according to an Energy Department fact sheet. “Companies can use these resources for commercial nuclear energy research, development, demonstration and deployment activities,” which the department plans to then disseminate throughout the industry.
NEW NUCLEAR
NRC hints at upcoming early site determination for TVA advanced nuclear project
Utility Dive | 8/16/2019
- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Wednesday indicated it could make an early site determination on the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) application to locate small modular reactors (SMRs) at the 1,200-acre Clinch River location.
- NRC accepted the application in 2016 to consider the site, though currently there are no certified SMR designs available. The NRC is currently reviewing SMR design proposals by NuScale Power as part of renewed interest in nuclear's carbon-free generation.
- On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Energy launched a new National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC), to aid the development of advanced nuclear energy technologies.
TVA officials say the Wednesday hearing was a step forward, but the federal utility has made no final decision about the possibility of developing scalable nuclear power. Whether or not TVA determines to move ahead with the project, it wants to keep options open.
"There is likely to be some additional conversation between TVA and NRC," TVA spokesman Jim Hopson told Utility Dive. "The chairman of the commission mentioned they expect to make a decision in the near future."
Even if NRC signs off on the site, development remains in the early stages as the commission has not certified any SMR designs — though NuScale is making progress.
"We have not definitely decided to deploy reactors to the site, but felt it had enough potential to provide next generation that we wanted to be prepared," said Hopson.
NEW NUCLEAR
NuScale announces grant to build reactor simulators
Post Register | 8/15/2019
The company that plans to build 12 small nuclear reactors near Idaho Falls has received federal grants to build reactor plant simulators at three universities, including at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies, a research and education consortium between Idaho National Laboratory, Boise State University, Idaho State University, the University of Idaho and the University of Wyoming.
NuScale Power announced it received the U.S. Department of Energy grants on Thursday. Simulators will be built in Idaho Falls, at Oregon State University and at Texas A&M University-College Station.
The simulators are virtual nuclear power plant control rooms than let universities and national laboratories observe nuclear plant behavior from the control room. In Idaho, NuScale is working with Richard Christensen, director of nuclear engineering for the U of I. NuScale said the simulators will be used for research and education at the universities, as well as outreach to younger school students and public advocacy for nuclear power
and small modular reactor technology.
CONTRACTING & ACQUISITION
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
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NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP
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"Advancing Goal-Oriented Nuclear Waste Cleanup, Today and Tomorrow"
September 10-12, 2019
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
Alexandria, VA
Join more than 700 attendees, including senior DOE officials, Congressional leaders, DOE contractors, and state, tribal and local government leaders for the largest EM-focused gathering in the D.C. area.
Scheduled sessions at this year's workshop include:
- Insights from the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus Leadership
- 30 Years of EM Cleanup: A Foundation of Success
- EM Contracting: Moving Forward on Contract Management Enhancements
- Legislative Challenges and Opportunities for the EM Program
- Clarifying the Definition of HLW: Challenges and Opportunities
- Continuing Progress on Direct Feed LAW at Hanford
- The Future of the Savannah River Site
- Congressional Staff Perspectives
- Roundtable with DOE Field Office Managers
- Investing in Infrastructure to Enable Cleanup and Future Missions
Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World
Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.
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Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles
ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local
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