PORTLAND, Oregon–NuScale Power, LLC announced today that it has commissioned a second small modular reactor (SMR) control room simulator to model the operation of its nuclear power plant design. The new simulator, located in its Richland, Washington office, will be used to develop plant operating procedures and training material as well as a training platform for future nuclear plant operators at a NuScale power plant. The first commercial NuScale power plant is planned for construction on the site of the Idaho National Laboratory for Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) and operated by Energy Northwest.

The Richland-based simulator serves as a virtual nuclear power plant control room with work stations to simulate the operation of a NuScale SMR module, turbine generator and support systems used to generate electricity.

“The Richland control room simulator will allow Energy Northwest personnel to become familiar with our plant design and operation,” said Carl Markert, NuScale Power’s vice president of Operations and Plant Services. “Our system provides comprehensive monitoring and control of all plant systems for a 12-unit NuScale power plant in a single main control room.”

NuScale is pursuing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval for the design of its SMR and for a power plant containing 12 NuScale modules capable of a total facility output of 600 megawatts (gross), enough to power a city of roughly one-half million people.

In 2013, NuScale Power joined a teaming arrangement with Energy Northwest and UAMPS to promote a commercial, small modular reactor project in the western United States. Energy Northwest holds first right of offer to operate the project. By doing so, Energy Northwest would become one of the first industry experts for small modular reactor operation.

“We are excited about the opportunity to provide operations and maintenance support for the first commercial small modular reactor,” said Mark Reddemann, CEO of Energy Northwest. “The new simulator will provide an invaluable training environment for plant personnel.”

“Having visited the NuScale control room simulator in Corvallis, Oregon, I am thrilled to have a similar facility here in the Tri-Cities,” said Senator Sharon Brown, the state Legislature’s leading advocate for SMR technology and nuclear power. “Promoting the growth of the small modular reactor industry in Washington could mean thousands of good-paying, family wage jobs in construction, manufacturing and other related high-tech fields. Having this simulator in our state will help me make the case for SMR technology with the public, members of the media and other lawmakers.”

Brown is the sponsor of several measures aimed at making Washington more attractive to SMR manufacturers, including Senate Bill 5475, which would provide a business-and-occupation tax incentive for the production of small nuclear reactors.

On March 15th, the NRC accepted NuScale’s design certification application thereby confirming that NuScale’s submission addressed all of the NRC requirements and contained sufficient technical information to conduct the review.

About NuScale Power, LLC

NuScale Power, LLC, is developing a new kind of nuclear plant; a safer, smaller, scalable version of pressurized water reactor technology - a technology initially developed and tested at Oregon State University. Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR), a global engineering, procurement, and construction company with a 60-year history in commercial nuclear power, is the majority investor in NuScale. NuScale's design offers the benefits of carbon-free nuclear power and reduces the financial commitments associated with giga-watt size nuclear facilities. NuScale technology is ideally suited across diverse platforms including base load electricity, load-following support for renewables, very high-reliability micro-grids, and process heat or steam for district heating, desalination and industrial uses.

At the heart of our technology is the fully factory fabricated NuScale Power Module™, an integral reactor vessel surrounded by a high pressure steel containment, which when coupled to its factory fabricated power generation equipment can produce 50 megawatts of electricity. A NuScale power plant can house up to 12 of these modules for a total facility output of 600 megawatts (gross). The scalability afforded by the modular design allows customers to incrementally increase facility output to match demand. The NuScale Power Module™ is premised on well-established nuclear technology principles with a focus on integration of components, simplification or elimination of systems, and use of passive safety features resulting in highly reliable operation underpinned by an extremely strong safety case and unparalleled asset protection, making it suitable to be sited at locations closer to where electricity or process heat are needed.

NuScale is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and has offices in Corvallis, Oregon; Rockville, Maryland; Charlotte, North Carolina; Richland, Washington; and London, UK.