IHI Corporation (IHI) has decided to enter the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) market by investing in NuScale Power, LLC (NuScale), a U.S.-based developer of SMR technology, with JGC Holdings Corporation. IHI announced today. (Logo quoted from Yahoo's image)

Since the 1950s, IHI has been designing and manufacturing primary components for nuclear power plants in Japan, but IHI is now facing a stagnant domestic market.  The world is seeking ways to decarbonize society to fight climate change, and the ratio of renewables in the energy mix is increasing.

Under these circumstances, load-following, scalable power sources that can complement renewable energy sources are becoming more important. SMR plants fill this role well because their multiple reactors can be operated independently, thereby allowing the plant to change its power output quickly to meet fluctuating demand. 

IHI has designated “carbon solutions” as a focus area for growth and decided to invest in NuScale because its SMRs are one of the most promising “carbon solutions”. The SMR being developed by NuScale has a high level of safety, and its innovative design created the new standard for rigorously proven safety through the Triple Crown for Nuclear Plant Safety™, which ensures that NuScale’s SMRs safely shut down and self-cool, indefinitely, with no operator or computer action, no AC or DC power, and no additional water. 

NuScale is the first SMR to obtain Standard Design Approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and NuScale is already in the process of commercializing its technology. Based on IHI’s rich experience in the nuclear industry, IHI plans to play a central role in NuScale’s future projects through the supply of primary components and engineering support.

IHI has provided value to its customers globally through design and manufacture of primary components for nuclear power plants, acting as an EPC contractor for nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and conducting decontamination and decommissioning work. Using IHI’s existing technology and expertise as a starting point, we will further improve the safety of nuclear power, maintain our technology at the forefront, and continue to fulfill our responsibilities as a leading member of the nuclear industry.

NuScale Power has developed a new modular light water reactor nuclear power plant to supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, and other process heat applications. This groundbreaking small modular reactor (SMR) design features a fully factory-fabricated NuScale Power Module™ capable of generating 77 MW of electricity using a safer, smaller, and scalable version of pressurized water reactor technology. 

NuScale's scalable design—power plants that can house up to four, six, or 12 individual power modules—offers the benefits of carbon-free energy and reduces the financial commitments associated with gigawatt-sized nuclear facilities. The majority investor in NuScale is Fluor Corporation, a global engineering, procurement, and construction company with a 70-year history in commercial nuclear power.

(IRuniverse)

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