Westinghouse Unveils Plans for Its First Small Nuclear Reactor
- Company expects to deliver 300-megawatt plants for $1 billion
- ‘We are confident this will sail through’ licensing process
Rendering of the AP300 Small Modular Reactor from Westinghouse.
Source: Westinghouse/Business WireWestinghouse Electric Co., the US nuclear-technology giant, is developing a compact version of its flagship power plant, a move aimed at making its designs more competitive in markets that don’t need large, conventional reactors.
The company unveiled plans on Thursday for a small modular reactor it calls the AP300, which is based on technology from its 1.1-gigawatt AP1000 reactor. Westinghouse expects the new design will get federal approval in 2027, and the first unit may start delivering power to the grid in about 2033. The compact plant would have a generating capacity of 300 megawatts, making it a suitable replacement for coal plants that often generate a similar amount of power.