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NRC issues first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor

151 points · 191 comments · papa-whisky

  1. preisschild · · focus · HN ↗
    The BWRX-300 footprint is so large they might as well just build large nuclear power units again and get 3-4x the power
    1. sandworm101 · · focus · HN ↗
      From thier website: "The BWRX-300 power block is small enough to fit within two international football pitches."

      And after some digging, the core alone is 4.2m INNER diameter and over 27m tall. That is smaller than average but this is a far cry from the sales pitch of reactor modules being mass produced in a factory to be delivered to site by truck.

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.gevernova.com&#x2F;content&#x2F;dam&#x2F;gevernova-nuclear&#x2F;global&#x2F;en_us&#x2F;documents&#x2F;carbon-free-power&#x2F;005N9751-BWRX-300-General-Description.pdf" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.gevernova.com&#x2F;content&#x2F;dam&#x2F;gevernova-nuclear&#x2F;glob...

      1. alightsoul · · focus · HN ↗
        The reactor vessel is technically always factory made, and the containment building (pit?) structures are built as separate prefabricated modules that are just lowered into the containment building, like a prefabricated building is assembled on site
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