US-based Westinghouse Electric Company has completed the front-end engineering & experiment design (FEEED) phase to test a prototype of its eVinci microreactor at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The eVinci microreactor is one of three designs that could potentially start testing at INL’s microreactor test bed as early as 2026.
The eVinci microreactor design is a transportable reactor that will be fully factory built, fuelled and assembled, and capable of delivering combined heat (up to 13 MWt) and power (up to 5 MWe ). Its small size allows for standard transportation methods and rapid, on-site deployment, with superior reliability and minimal maintenance. It will use TRISO (TRI-structural ISOtropic) nuclear fuel. It is one of several advanced reactor designs being supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) intended to accelerate the development and deployment of new reactor technologies.
The FEEED process is intended to support developers in design and planning for the fabrication, construction, and potential testing of fuelled reactor experiments at the DOME test bed operated by DOE’s National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) at INL. The facility is currently being renovated at the former EBR-II containment structure at INL to help lower the risk of developing new reactor technologies.
Westinghouse was one of three companies competitively selected last year to complete the FEEED process, which includes developing a detailed schedule, budget, design, and test plan for the experiment, as well as a detailed preliminary safety report on its design to ensure safe operations during testing.
“Completing the FEEED process marks a critical step to bringing the Westinghouse eVinci Microreactor to commercial operation,” said Jon Ball, President of eVinci Technologies at Westinghouse. “We are targeting deployment of multiple eVinci microreactors across the world by the end of the decade, and the strong and continued partnership with NRIC, INL, and the Department of Energy is instrumental to our efforts.”
Westinghouse will continue to work with NRIC to finalise the design and planning for the eVinci experiment. The company will also start securing long-lead procurement items in preparation for potential installation at DOME. Radiant and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation are also on track to complete the FEEED process before the end of the year.
Researched and written by Judith Perera
