Rolls-Royce SMR has signed a $1.5m contract with US-based GSE Solutions to develop a power station simulator to support the design of its small modular reactor (SMR) technology. The simulator will play a key role in Rolls-Royce SMR’s programme to develop, verify and validate the performance and control systems of its planned factory-built NPP.
“Commissioning a simulation and test platform is another stride towards deploying the first Rolls-Royce SMR power plant,” said David Dodd, Rolls-Royce SMR Engineering Director. “The work with GSE is part of our ‘digital-first’ methodology and our truly modular approach to developing new nuclear power – a reliable source of clean, affordable energy for the UK and the rest of the world.”
“We are extremely proud to have been chosen by Rolls-Royce SMR to assist with their innovative, technology-driven engineering platform,” said Ravi Khanna, GSE Solutions’ President & CEO. “Our simulation technology stack and model development services are utilised by power plants across the globe to prove design concepts and create training scenarios based on real-world situations and specific operational configurations. This agreement underscores GSE’s five-decade presence in the sector and solidifies our position in the future of nuclear energy.”
The Rolls-Royce SMR design is a three loop PWR with an output of 470 MWe derived from 1,358 MWt. The Rolls-Royce SMR concept is centred on modularisation of reliable and proven technology, allowing maximum use of the factory environment to combine standard components with advanced manufacturing techniques. The factory-built modularisation approach is expected to drastically reduce the amount of on-site construction while its compact footprint and modular design means it can be located alongside energy intensive industrial processes.
The UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) recently confirmed that Rolls-Royce SMR is on track to complete Step 2 of Generic Design Assessment (GDA) this summer, with the intention of moving directly to the third and final step. This progress through the assessment by the nuclear industry’s independent regulators (the ONR, Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales) puts Rolls-Royce SMR ahead of other SMR designs in Europe.
Rolls-Royce SMR has received UK Government funding of £210m ($273m) as part of Phase 2 of the Low-Cost Nuclear Challenge Project, administered by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI). This has been supplemented by £280m of private capital. The Government support aims to accelerate the Rolls-Royce SMR design through the GDA process, which began in November 2021.
Rolls-Royce SMR announced in May that it is setting up a facility in Sheffield in the UK to both manufacture and test prototype modules for its small modular reactors (SMRs). The Rolls-Royce SMR Module Development Facility located at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre’s (AMRC’s) existing Factory 2050 facilities – will produce working prototypes of the individual modules that will be assembled into Rolls-Royce SMR power plants.
