US-based NuScale Power and Paragon Energy Solutions have signed a licence agreement that will enable potential widespread use of the innovative and advanced Highly Integrated Protection System (HIPS) platform. The HIPS platform is a reactor protection system architecture jointly developed by NuScale and Rock Creek Innovations (RCI), a hardware supplier of commercial nuclear protections systems that was acquired by Paragon in 2021.
RCI has partnered with NuScale since 2010 supporting NuScale’s commitment to maintaining a US-centred manufacturing and supply chain. This relationship will continue under Paragon’s leadership. Paragon has over 30 years of experience in providing the nuclear sector with technology solutions, such as instrumentation and control (I&C) systems, sophisticated software testing, and numerous repair programs.
In 2017, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) evaluated the HIPS platform developed for NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR), concluding that it is an effective platform for safety-related I&C systems in nuclear applications. The licence agreement enables the broader nuclear industry to implement the NRC-approved HIPS platform.
“The nuclear community shares a common goal of delivering carbon-free and reliable power to our respective customers and ensuring the highest level of safety,” said NuScale President and CEO John Hopkins. “The HIPS technology is a game-changer for nuclear power plant operators who are looking for safety-related systems that work for multiple decades without major upgrades,” said Doug VanTassell, President and CEO of Paragon Energy Services.
The agreement supports the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) report released earlier this year, “America’s Strategy to Secure the Supply Chain for a Robust Clean Energy Transition,” designed to retain and develop US jobs through the exploration of mutually beneficial domestic business relationships. This includes, but is not limited to, US and State Government grants and funding opportunities in addition to developing US manufacturing opportunities. Also NuScale’s collaboration with the US Reactor Forging Consortium (RFC) in April complements DOE goals by establishing domestic partnerships to build a robust US supply chain.
Image courtesy of Nuscale Power
