Kategori : ELECTRICITY ENERGY NEWS, ENERGY AGENDA NEWS, NUCLEAR ENERGY NEWS - Tarih : 07 June 2021

The association of companies, led by Rolls-Royce, announced that the first phase in the development of the compact nuclear power plant, also known as the Small Modular Reactor (SMR), was completed ahead of schedule and on a lower budget. It has been announced that with the updated design, the energy capacity of the reactors has increased.

Aiming that the SMR design will be evaluated by the relevant nuclear regulatory agency in the first quarter of 2021, the association of companies has thus remained loyal to its goal of completing the first power plant in the early 2030s and nearly 10 power plants by 2035.

Stating that they made arrangements and improvements in the design of the plant with more than 200 critical engineering decisions taken in the final stage, the Rolls-Royce team announced that the power capacity was increased from 440 MW to 470 MW without additional cost, and the configuration, efficiency and performance criteria of the plant were optimized. As a result of these changes, it is stated that each SMR will generate enough power to power 100,000 more homes compared to the previous design.

On the other hand, the Rolls-Royce team stated that the renewed design has a versatile aesthetic roof. It was announced that the power plant was designed to be surrounded by an earthen embankment in order to integrate with the landscape, and a more compact settlement was created by arranging the use of floor space.

Speaking at the Nuclear Power Plants Fair and Summit held in Istanbul, Rolls Royce SMR CEO Tom Samson emphasized that SMRs offer an accessible, safe and clean energy solution and said: We design reliable and investable small modular reactors with our innovations using common PWR nuclear technology. In this respect, it is of great importance that nuclear energy provides low-cost solutions, offers confidence and attracts investment. At Rolls-Royce we develop technologies that meet these expectations, and with our SMRs we offer a scalable and clean solution that avoids high energy storage costs. In this direction, we continue our negotiations with the authorities so that SMRs can be used in Turkey as well.”

Speaking at the same summit, Afşin Burak Bostancı, General Manager of Nuclear Energy and International Projects of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, stated that approximately 11% of the world’s electrical energy demand is met from nuclear power plants and said: “Our country is planning to establish 3 nuclear power plant projects that will have a total of 12 nuclear reactors. . On the other hand, we closely follow new trends in 4th generation reactors, especially small modular reactors. Nuclear power plants will play an important role in reducing our country’s dependence on foreign sources in the primary energy source.

Rolls-Royce emphasized that thanks to its compact size, the SMR power plant is suitable for a wide variety of applications, and this diversity will help decarbonize all energy systems. It has been announced that each power plant can provide reliable and low-carbon energy enough for approximately one million* households, and that the power plants can also operate to power clean hydrogen and synthetic aviation fuel production facilities, desalination plants or energy-intensive industrial zones.

According to the design, which will be finalized at the end of the nuclear regulatory agency’s evaluation process, it has been announced that all fuel to be used will be stored at the existing site for the life of the facility.

Emphasizing that Rolls-Royce sees Turkey as a potential key partner in the field of SMR, Rolls-Royce SMR Strategy and Business Development Director Alan Woods said: “We believe that Turkey can be our regional business partner in the production of Rolls-Royce SMRs. The local supply chain is of great importance in terms of realizing this and we think that Turkey will be a very suitable business partner in this regard. This partnership can transform Turkey from a nuclear technology purchaser to a nuclear technology seller.” Drawing attention to the economic advantages that the regional industry will create, Woods said, “This partnership to be entered into will not only create a large amount of job opportunities in Turkey, but also ensure that these job opportunities are sustainable in the long run.”

Woods stated that since the SMR nuclear reactor uses standard nuclear energy technology available in 400 reactors around the world, there is no need for prototype production, which will reduce costs. In addition, it was stated that the power plant components will be produced in modules before being transferred to the installation site, and the assembly in the field will be completed under a weatherproof closed system at factory quality standards. It was emphasized that this process will provide factory-like conditions for sensitive activities and will further reduce costs by protecting production from adverse weather conditions. As a result, with the processes to be standardized in production and installation activities, efficient