NuScale collaborates with US forging companies

Under the agreement, the RFC and NuScale will cooperate in design for manufacturability reviews for forged geometries to reduce welding, chemical composition tailoring and optimised configuration for fabrication. The collaboration will support the US supply chain planning as NuScale approaches near-term commercialisation of the NuScale Power Modules (NPM).

The RFC comprises North American Forgemasters (NAF), Scot Forge and ATI Forged Products.

"The RFC is the combination of highly qualified expert suppliers of nuclear-grade forgings for the worldwide nuclear industry," NuScale said. "The combined three companies act as the only fully integrated manufacturer of large alloy and stainless steel open die, seamless rolled ring, and large uniquely-shaped forgings (heads with integral nozzles) in the Western Hemisphere with as-forged piece weights exceeding 160 tons."

NAF is currently partnering with Pennsylvania-based Center for Advanced Nuclear Manufacturing, operated by Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), on a full production-size shell research project that will focus on the use of austenitic stainless steel for reactor and containment vessels in SMRs and advance reactors. Financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Economic Development, NAF in collaboration with its 50/50 joint venture owners Scot Forge and Ellwood Group will perform melting, forging, heat treating, rough machining, mechanical testing, and non-destructive testing while CTC oversees the development and performs independent technical evaluations of the forged material.

Portland, Oregon-based NuScale said the RFC partners are strategically located across the USA and are helping the company strengthen its US supply chain. NAF has its principal office in New Castle, Pennsylvania; Scot Forge is headquartered in Spring Grove, Illinois; and ATI Forged Products has its office in Cudahy, Wisconsin.

NAF, Scot Forge and ATI have previously worked collaboratively on the refinement of designs and manufacturing feasibility of large nuclear grade forgings for the NPM.

NuScale offers its SMR technology in scalable sizes, including a VOYGR-12 power plant, which includes 12 (77 MWe) NuScale Power Modules, using a safer, smaller and scalable version of pressurised water reactor technology. NuScale also offers smaller power plant solutions, the four-module VOYGR-4 (308 MWe) and six-module VOYGR-6 (462 MWe), though others will be possible.

In August 2020, NuScale's SMR became the first, and so far, only, SMR design to receive approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

In July 2016, Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd and NuScale announced they would work together to develop the manufacturing techniques required for the future deployment of small modular reactors in the UK.