US-based NuScale Power and nuclear training organisation Accelerant Solutions have agreed to develop and implement a NuScale Licensed Operator Training Programme.
The collaboration between NuScale and Accelerant Solutions will accelerate nuclear energy training for NuScale’s VOYGR power plant design. NuScale’s Power Module 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 (NRC) and is the basis of the VOYGR plant design.
NuScale offers a 924 MWe 12-module VOYGR-12 plant as well as the four-module VOYGR-4 (308 MWe) and six-module VOYGR-6 (462 MWe). The VOYGR-12 924 MWe power plant can be operated safely and reliably with a minimum of three licensed operators from a single control room – a feature approved by NRC staff.
Since 2020, NuScale and Accelerant Solutions have collaborated to develop lesson plans to train plant operators on operating systems, use of operating procedures, and the NuScale control room simulator. The agreement entails Accelerant Solutions and its strategic technology partner Tecnatom USA leveraging their first-of-a-kind PLANT software, which uses interactive visual aids and a single, authoritative source for all drawings and documents that can be easily shared between lessons.
Accelerant Solutions, founded in 2004, in partnership with Tecnatom, has in recent years developed and implemented breakthrough digital training solutions for the US nuclear industry. Spain-based Tecnatom is majority owned by Spain’s Endesa (45%) and US Westinghouse (45%).
NuScale President & CEO John Hopkins, said the partnership “sets the stage for the successful training for future VOYGR plant operators”. Billy Mack, President of Accelerant Solutions said the partnership “will accelerate power for all humankind”.
In addition to developing an operator-training programme, NuScale is also preparing the nuclear workforce through the deployment of Energy Exploration (E2) Centres, including recently launching the first international E2 Cenre at the University Politehnica of Bucharest in Romania.
Image: The NuScale control room simulator (courtesy of NuScale Power)
Further reading on the NEI website: 'Training NuScale SMR operators' – https://www.neimagazine.com/features/featuretraining-nuscale-smr-operators-8473789/
