NuScale SMR simulator opens in Romania

15 May 2023

The first simulator for the control room of a NuScale VOYGR small modular reactor (SMR) power plant in Europe has opened at the University Politehnica of Bucharest in Romania. The simulator is the fifth in total, but the first outside the USA.

The opening of the NuScale VOGYR power plant simulator at the University Politehnica of Bucharest (Image: Nuclearelectrica)

The NuScale Energy Exploration Centre (E2 Centre) at the university's Faculty of Energy Engineering offers users a hands-on opportunity to apply nuclear science and engineering principles through simulated, real-world nuclear power plant operation scenarios. The E2 Centre employs state-of-the-art computer modeling to simulate a NuScale VOYGR SMR power plant control room.

The E2 Centre was funded by the US Department of State under the Foundational Infrastructure for the Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) programme. FIRST supports partner countries in advancing their nuclear energy programmes to meet their clean energy goals under the highest international standards for nuclear safety, security, and non-proliferation. It builds on the intergovernmental agreement between the USA and Romania for cooperation on Romania's nuclear energy programme signed in December 2020.

"As the first international E2 Centre, this workforce development tool will enable Romania to develop the next generation of advanced nuclear experts, technologists, and operators and become a hub for deploying SMRs in Europe," NuScale Power said. "Romania has the potential to be one of the first deployments of an SMR in Europe and to become a catalyst for SMRs in the region by serving as a base for supporting operations of this new technology in other countries, as well as the production and assembly of plant components."

The first E2 Centre opened at Oregon State University in November 2020, followed by a second at the University of Idaho at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies in August 2021. The third centre is located at Texas A&M's Engineering Experiment Station and opened in November 2021. The fourth one opened in October 2022 in Pocatello, Idaho, in collaboration with Idaho State University.

In 2021, NuScale Power and state-owned nuclear power corporation Nuclearelectrica signed a teaming agreement to deploy a 462 MWe NuScale VOYGR-6 power plant in Romania by the end of the decade. In June last year, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to begin conducting engineering studies, technical reviews, and licensing and permitting activities for the project.

A front-end engineering and design contract was signed in late December by NuScale and RoPower - a joint venture of Nova Power & Gas and Nuclearelectrica - for the site of a former coal plant at Doicești, Romania, the preferred location for the deployment of the VOYGR-6 power plant.

Key government officials attended the opening of the E2 Centre on 15 May, including US Ambassador to Romania Kathleen Kavalec, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and Romanian Minister of Energy Virgil Popescu.

"Nuclearelectrica has strong assets, which qualifies us to be the first country after the US to deploy a NuScale SMR," said Nuclearelectrica CEO Cosmin Ghita. "The first E2 Centre launched in Romania is only the beginning of this new era in technology, human resources, safe, affordable clean energy, with multiple benefits for communities and industries, to which we are happy to contribute."

"The SMR project at Doicești, which this E2 Centre supports, will showcase Romanian leadership in energy innovation, accelerate the clean energy transition, create thousands of jobs in Romania and the US, and strengthen European energy security while upholding the highest standards for nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation," said Ann Ganzer, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation.

According to Nuclearelectrica, it is estimated that the NuScale VOYGR-6 power plant will generate about 200 permanent jobs, 1,500 jobs in construction, 2,300 jobs in production and will help Romania to avoid the emission of 4 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

The NuScale Power Module on which the VOYGR nuclear power plants are based is a pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single 77 MWe unit. It is the first SMR design to receive approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The company offers a 12-module VOYGR-12 power plant is capable of generating 924 MWe as well as the four-module VOYGR-4 (308 MWe) and six-module VOYGR-6 (462 MWe) plants and other configurations based on customer needs.

Second unit of Belarus nuclear plant connected to grid

15 May 2023

The second unit of Belarus's first nuclear power plant has been connected to the power grid and delivered its first kilowatt-hours to the country's electricity system.

The moment the second power unit was connected (Image: Belarus Ministry of Energy)

The Ministry of Energy in Belarus said that the connection took place on Saturday 13 May at 13:24 as part of the continuing process of power start-up.

It said on Telegram: "The synchronisation of the turbogenerator of the second power unit of the nuclear power plant with the power system was preceded by a large amount of work, including bringing the reactor plant to a critical state, then to a minimum controlled power level with its further increase to 40%."

The ministry added: "All technological operations were performed in accordance with the regulations, in compliance with the necessary safety requirements."

Rosatom said that specialists will increase power "up to 50% in the coming days and carry out tests to verify the compliance of the thermal performance of the main equipment in the reactor and turbine compartments of the power unit with the design values".  The unit will then see its power increased in further stages - with tests along the way - until it reaches 100%. Commissioning of the unit is scheduled for Autumn this year.

Energy minister Viktor Karankevich said: "One of the most important and critical sub-stages of the power unit start-up has been carried out, which was the result of large-scale work related to the installation and commissioning of equipment, serious preparatory operations."

The first power unit of Belarus's nuclear power plant, which is in Ostrovets, was connected to the grid in November 2020 and, the energy ministry says, once both units - Russian VVER-1200 reactors - are commissioned, the plant will produce about 18.5 TWh of electricity per year, equivalent to 4.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas, with an annual effect on the country's economy of about USD550 million.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News