CORE POWER has launched a feasibility study into using BWX Technologies’ mPower™ small modular reactor in floating nuclear power plants built in and deployed from shipyards, according to CORE POWER.
The assessment puts a maritime delivery model at the centre of CORE POWER’s plan to turn nuclear power generation into a shipyard-built industrial product.
The company is testing the technical, regulatory and commercial route for integrating BWXT’s reactor design into floating nuclear power plants that could be moved close to large power users and high-demand areas.
The mPower™ design was originally developed as a Generation III+ integral pressurised water small modular reactor with capacity of 195 MW of electricity and 575 MWth per reactor.
CORE POWER said the floating nuclear power plant model is intended to shift construction into controlled shipyard conditions, with the aim of reducing delivery risk, improving repeatability and supplying power where grid capacity, land availability or long civil planning and infrastructure timelines create constraints.
The feasibility study will cover baseline information exchange, systems engineering, concept of operations development, product requirements definition, regulatory pathway assessment, marine integration studies and techno-economic analysis.
“We’re building, integrating and deploying ship-based nuclear energy systems that deliver reliable power where industry and nations need it most. We are focused on commercial delivery, from vessels and infrastructure to kilowatts consumed and industries powered,” CORE POWER chief executive Mikal Bøe said.
“For CORE POWER, this assessment of the mPower technology is a significant step in our strategy to accelerate the design of our fully modular floating nuclear power plants. “Electric power demand is rapidly outstripping supply. Markets that need reliable electricity cannot wait for conventional infrastructure timelines. “The United States has the nuclear expertise, the industrial base and the maritime heritage to lead this market. CORE POWER’s role is to combine those strengths and accelerate the path from technology to product.”
CORE POWER is funding the initial assessment. The results are expected to guide future decisions on engineering scope, regulatory engagement, commercial structure and possible next steps.
CORE POWER (US) Inc. is the company behind the study and is focused on commercial deployment architecture for ship-based nuclear energy systems.
BWX Technologies is the company whose mPower™ reactor design is being assessed for potential integration into CORE POWER’s floating nuclear power plant concept.