Part 2 of 3 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
If Dominion proceeds with plans for an SMR, it will have to balance the enthusiasm of Southwest Virginia with the fact that it could simply site an SMR one of its existing nuclear facilities in North Anna and Surry. This would certainly be less expensive and raise fewer objections.
Historically, conservatives have been most interested in the deployment of nuclear power in the U.S. Currently, more Democrats have been embracing nuclear power, including the Biden administration. They see it as a way to replace fossil fuels on a larger scale than solar or wind. Criticisms of nuclear energy remain the high cost, the long time needed and the potential for horrible accidents. The renewed interest in nuclear power is driven by the concern that renewables may not be able to supply the entire power grid on a reliable basis.
A utility in the Canadian province of Ontario broke ground in December for an SMR at an existing nuclear site in Darlington which is forty-two miles east of Toronto. It is expected to be completed by 2028. Currently, it is the only SMR under construction in North America.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) signed a four-way agreement in March with the Ontario utility, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, and a Polish company to design and finance an SMR in Oak Ridge. TVA officials told Knox News that they were partnering with the Ontario Power Generation because that project is up to twenty-four months ahead. The TVA will be able to gain invaluable experience from their involvement.
Dow Incorporated recently announced plans to build four SMRs to power one of its plastic plants on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Dow hopes to have construction taking place in 2026 and be finished by 2030. The Dow project is an example of the Biden Administration’s support for nuclear power. The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is providing up to twenty-five million dollars for engineering work as part of the department’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program. Dow said that the reactors, when operational, would eliminate four hundred and forty thousand metric tons of carbon emissions per year and make the plant net zero for carbon.
Nuscale Power is the Oregon company which currently has the nation’s only authorized design for an SMR. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Nucor based in Charlotte, North Carolina, to explore using small modular reactors to power Nucor’s steel mills.
Green Energy Partners has announced plans to build data centers next to Dominion’s Surry nuclear power station. Someday, they hope to use SMRs to power the data centers. Data Center Frontier reported that “The plan is to run the data centers on existing power sources, then, using the revenue from the data centers, build to a hydrogen production facility and four to six 250 megawatt SMRs to meet the long-term needs of the data centers and other facilities on campus.”
This plan is not unusual. A Swedish data center company is also looking to use an SMR to power its facilities near Stockholm, according to Data Center Dynamics. The CEO of the company said, “I am absolutely prepared to go into it. Ten years from now it is quite possible.”
Please read Part 3 next