Nuclear giant plans small reactors

Westinghouse Electric Co. is jumping into the small modular reactor market with both feet — and claims an edge in the crowded space, Ben writes.

Driving the news: Westinghouse on Thursday unveiled a 300-megawatt design that’s a small version of its AP1000, a move that greatly deepens the company’s foray into SMRs.

Why it matters: There’s growing investor and policymaker interest in nuclear power to help decarbonize electricity.

• Proponents herald lower costs and faster timelines, avoiding budget overruns and delays that have hobbled large reactor plans.

The intrigue: Westinghouse says it’s the only SMR “truly based on an Nth-of-a-kind operating plant.”

• A dozen AP1000s are operating or under construction, mostly in China, but also including two at Southern Company’s Vogtle plant in Georgia (which itself has suffered delays and overruns).
• That means mature supply chains, construction “lessons learned” and a design familiar to regulators in multiple countries.

What’s next: Westinghouse is seeking design certification from U.S. regulators by 2027, with construction launching in 2030 and power production in 2033.

• The company tells Axios it sees “global possibilities.”
• Reuters reports“informal” talks with parties in Ohio and West Virginia about deploying the tech at former coal plants.

The bottom line: It’s a major move in the SMR space, where other nuclear giants like GE Hitachi and lots of startups are also competing.