NuScale teams up with Prodigy and Kinectrics for MPS deployment

"Through this agreement, the three companies will produce technical specifications and a regulatory considerations document on the MPS that will be used to engage regulators and potential customers," NuScale said. The companies will also "work together to evaluate commercial deployment opportunities where the MPS could be deployed either as the sole power source, coupled with renewables, or used to generate clean fuels, such as hydrogen and ammonia, economically and at commercial scale."

NuScale and Quebec-based Prodigy have been collaborating since 2018 to investigate the feasibility of integrating NuScale Power Modules into Prodigy's MPS, and have completed the conceptual design and economic assessment phases. In May this year, the two companies signed an MoU to support business opportunities for a marine-deployed nuclear power plant using the NuScale small modular reactor (SMR).

Prodigy is beginning engagement with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and is in the process of proposing pre-licensing activities for it marine-based nuclear power plant systems.

Through the latest MoU, Kinectrics will bring expertise in nuclear licensing and regulatory affairs, nuclear equipment qualification, environmental analysis, safety analysis, materials evaluation, structural analysis, and shoreside transmission and distribution infrastructure design and construction.

"This is a first-of-its-kind regulatory exercise in North America, and we are privileged to have support from NuScale and Kinectrics as part of this effort," said Prodigy President and CEO Mathias Trojer. "Canada's abiding government commitment to deploy SMRs, experienced nuclear regulator, strong domestic nuclear ecosystem, and first-tier leadership in safe nuclear operations, provide a highly conducive environment to pilot Prodigy's deployment approach. We anticipate that regulations and policies developed in Canada could help to provide a starting point to engage the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as sovereign regulators in global jurisdictions for technology export."

NuScale Chairman and CEO John Hopkins added: "Work accomplished within this MoU will expand opportunities for nuclear energy generation, helping to achieve the carbon-free, sustainable energy future that we are all working toward."

"Achieving a clean energy future requires innovations to accelerate deployment of zero-carbon power sources," said Kinectrics President and CEO David Harris. "Prodigy's transportable and marine-based nuclear power plant systems could be a critical vehicle to deploy SMRs faster, more safely, and more economically, with minimised environmental impact."

Prodigy's Marine Power Station would be shipyard-fabricated, and transported by sea to its deployment location. Moored in place in sheltered and protected waters at the shoreline, the plant would then be connected to the existing shore-side transmission system. In addition to supplying electricity and heat, energy produced could also be used to generate process steam, hydrogen and ammonia, and to desalinate or treat water.​

The NuScale Power Module is a 77 MWe pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single unit. It has received standard design approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission - the first and so far, only, SMR to do so. NuScale and Fluor are currently working for Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems to bring an SMR project to commercialisation, aiming for the first plant to be in operation at a site in Idaho by 2030.