NuScale, Jordanian Government Partner to Explore SMR Options

Nuclear energy company NuScale Power will work with the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) to explore the capabilities and benefits of NuScale’s small modular reactors (SMRs).

US-based NuScale entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the JAEC as part of the country’s widespread efforts to develop and implement a nuclear strategy.

Through this MOU, NuScale and the JAEC will collaborate on conducting a joint feasibility evaluation of NuScale’s small modular nuclear power plants, helping to inform the JAEC’s decision on moving forward with the project as part of Jordan’s planned deployment of nuclear power plants.

“NuScale is at the forefront of US SMR technology,” Dr. Khaled Toukan, JAEC chairman, said in the announcement. “We look forward to this collaboration to assess the viability and potential for deployment of NuScale SMR technology in Jordan.”

The technology NuScale Power has developed is a new modular light water reactor nuclear power plant used to supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination and other process heat applications.

The proprietary small modular reactors feature a power module capable of generating 60 MW of electricity using a safer, smaller, and scalable version of pressurized water reactor technology.

The company also offers a scalable design, allowing a power plant to house up to 12 individual power modules. The dozen power modules can then provide carbon-free energy.

NuScale’s small design also reduces the financial obligations that come with large, gigawatt-sized nuclear facilities according to the company.

It is this scalable compact multi-module design that may be attractive to Jordanian officials who oversaw the implementation of several key and notable projects in Jordan including the sub-critical assembly, the exploration of uranium in the Central Jordan area and the Jordan Research and Training Reactor, the country’s first nuclear reactor.

Currently, the JAEC is mining for uranium and working to advance its Nuclear Power Plant development and implementation plan.

“As Jordan considers its energy future, I’m confident that the unmatched resiliency and safety features of NuScale’s SMR technology make us the ideal partner on the Kingdom’s nuclear power goals,” John Hopkins, NuScale Power’s chairman and CEO said in the company release.

“We look forward to using the agreement to showcase our SMR’s unique capabilities, cost benefits, and flexibility, all which demonstrate what a game-changer this technology will be for Jordan.”

The nuclear reactor company has seen an increase in interest for its SMR technology in a number of regions around the world, like the Middle East, where fossil fuels are widely used.

NuScale’s technology has undergone a design certification review by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and is scheduled for completion in September 2020.

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Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.