NuScale Completes First Manufacturing of Boron Carbide Pellets for SMR Safety Component in the U.S.

NuScale Power and MillenniTEK recently announced that they have successfully manufactured the first batch of boron carbide pellets for NuScale's passive emergency core cooling system (ECCS). This component will be used in NuScale's small modular reactor (SMR) technology and is one of the dedicated components in its reactor safety system.

According to reports, in nuclear power plants employing NuScale technology, when the emergency core cooling system is activated, the boron carbide pellets dissolve into the reactor coolant, helping to control and maintain core reactivity at safe levels without operator intervention. This manufacturing effort is considered a key advancement in NuScale's preparation for commercial deployment, involving the validation of dedicated safety components and associated manufacturing processes.

NuScale stated that it is advancing the commercialization of its small modular reactor technology through engineering design, production readiness, supply chain development, and customer deployment planning. NuScale noted that its SMR design has been approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The NuScale Power Module™ is a small pressurized water reactor module with an electrical output of 77 megawatts per module and a thermal output of 250 megawatts. Depending on the configuration, the technology can be scaled through multi-module combinations, with a total output of up to 924 megawatts from 12 modules. NuScale stated that the technology can be used for power generation, data center power supply, district heating, seawater desalination, commercial-scale hydrogen production, and other process heat applications.

Founded in 2010, MillenniTEK's business includes technical ceramic manufacturing and prototype component development for high-temperature materials. The company stated that its manufacturing capabilities can support emerging nuclear technology sectors such as small modular reactors, microreactors, and space reactors.