US DOE issues draft funding opportunity announcement for $904M program for Small Modular Reactors for comment
20 January 2012
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a draft Funding Opportunity Announcement (dFOA) (DE-FOA-0000371) for a Cost-Shared Industry Partnership Program for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Estimated total program funding is $904 million; DOE anticipates two awards with award ceilings of $452 million. At this time, DOE is only seeking input from industry and other interested parties on the dFOA; DOE is not seeking and will not accept applications or proposals, nor make awards, resulting from this dFOA.
Small modular reactors represent a key element of DOE’s nuclear energy programs. (Earlier post.) The SMR program is a near-term, multi-year initiative focused on the completion of design certification and licensing activities for SMR technologies to be developed and deployed in the United States.
For this FOA, DOE defines SMRs as reactor units with a nominal output of 300 megawatts electric (MWe) or less that can be fabricated remotely and transported to the site for assembly of components and operation. DOE is particularly interested in SMR designs that incorporate passive safety features and systems providing inherent protection from natural phenomena hazards or other upset conditions that could lead to nuclear emergency situations.
The FOA focuses on projects involving SMR designs that can be expeditiously licensed and achieve a Commercial Operation Date (COD) on a domestic site by 2022.
The deadline for submission of dFOA responses is 17 February 2012.
'The FOA focuses on projects involving SMR designs that can be expeditiously licensed and achieve a Commercial Operation Date (COD) on a domestic site by 2022.'
This kills any new design. Certification in the US has become a stop sign for all development.
No chance of competing with the Chinese in building a PBR, and perhaps a molten salt reactor.
In my view opponents of nuclear power pretty much control the process.
Posted by: Davemart | 20 January 2012 at 08:37 AM
The key to unlock the certification process is for DOE to actively develop and implement waste reduction technology. The political red lights will blink out, IF the nuke industry can demonstrate a viable process to neutralize or vastly shorten waste half life.
The technology to do so exists. Will DOE come down off its perch to utilize it?
Posted by: Reel$$ | 20 January 2012 at 09:45 AM
I have looked at this funding proposal. The requirement side all look well and good, and appear to match the attributes of a Molten Salt Reactor; however, the overall approach is seriously flawed.
This effort will end up as a half billion dollar give-away to develop a smaller version of the same Light Water Reactor design we had 50 years ago.
The requirement to have the final plant approved and constructed by 2022 will rule out any development of new designs.
This unfortunately just continues the same "anything but Molten Salt Reactor" Department of Energy as we know it. How difficult is it to just fund the Molten Salt Reactor development straight up? Just fund it !
They included MSR in the Gen 4 announcement, but failed to provide domestic funding. Now this waving half billion dollars around business.
Posted by: TexasDesert | 20 January 2012 at 10:24 AM
I would rather see the money put into thorium reactor development. Then we could get rid of some of those spent fuel rods and not run out of uranium.
Posted by: SJC | 20 January 2012 at 10:35 AM
One things for certain, nothings going to happen during an election year.
Posted by: danm | 20 January 2012 at 12:13 PM