A memorandum of understanding signed by Holtec International and Energoatom envisages the adoption by Ukraine of Holtec’s small modular reactor (SMR) technology with the country becoming a manufacturing hub for SMR-160 reactor components. Separately, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has begun a technical review of an application by Holtec for a consolidated spent fuel interim storage facility proposed for southeastern New Mexico.
Holtec’s SMR subsidiary is working to commercialise the 160 MWe factory-built SMR, which uses low-enriched uranium fuel. The passively safe reactor’s core and all nuclear steam supply system components would be located underground. The design has the flexibility to be used in remote locations, or in areas with limited water supplies or land, according to the company.
The memorandum signed in Camden, New Jersey, includes the licensing and construction of SMR-160 reactors in Ukraine, as well as the partial localisation of SMR-160 components. The Ukrainian manufacturing hub is to mirror the capabilities of Holtec’s Advanced Manufacturing Plant in Camden, and will be one of four manufacturing plants Holtec plans to build at distributed sites around the world by the mid-2020s. The memorandum of understanding will be implemented through a joint coordinating committee.
Holtec also said it is in talks with “leading Ukrainian suppliers” of speciality machinery such as turbo-generators to integrate their products into SMR-160.
Energoatom’s president, Yury Nedashkovsky, is an active member of the Holtec Advisory Council. Holtec said he has told the Council that Energoatom intends to replace two VVER-440 reactors at the Rovno nuclear power plant with SMR-160s. Nedashkovsky cited SMR-160’s “walk-away” safe design and Energoatom’s “trust and confidence” in Holtec, based on the companies’ long-term business relationship, as reasons behind Energoatom’s selection of Holtec’s reactor system.
