Doosan to manufacture upper reactor vessel for NuScale SMR

A signing ceremony was held at Doosan Enerbility's headquarters in Changwon, attended by senior executives from both companies, including Carl Fisher, Chief Operating Officer of NuScale Power, and Jongdoo Kim, CEO of Doosan Enerbility's Nuclear Business Group.

Under the contract, Doosan Enerbility will manufacture the upper reactor coolant system - a key component that forms the upper section of the reactor pressure vessel - which contains the reactor coolant under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. The contract will be executed at Doosan's reactor production facility in Changwon.

The contract builds on a partnership that began in 2019. Since then, the two companies have systematically developed the manufacturing processes, supply chain, and production infrastructure required to support deployment of NuScale's NuScale Power Module (NPM). Doosan Enerbility signed a contract with NuScale in 2023 to manufacture materials for its SMR. "With the latest agreement, the companies are expanding their collaboration from material preparation to the fabrication of reactor components for commercial deployment," the company said.

"This agreement is a meaningful step in converting our approved design into deliverable modules," said NuScale President and CEO John Hopkins. "Doosan's nuclear manufacturing facility and the work we have done together since 2019 give us the manufacturing capacity and process maturity we need to deliver NPMs on the schedules our customers require."

Doosan Enerbility's Kim added: "This contract marks an important step as SMR technology moves from technical validation into actual manufacturing. Drawing on our extensive experience in nuclear manufacturing, Doosan will continue to support NuScale's commercial projects."

"As the programme advances, significant manufacturing capacity will be required to support the production of reactor modules," Doosan Enerbility said. "Building on this activity, Doosan Enerbility plans to further strengthen its supply chain and manufacturing readiness to support follow-on orders in a timely manner."

The NuScale Power Module is a pressurised water reactor with all the components for steam generation and heat exchange incorporated into a single unit, generating 77 MWe, which in September 2020 became the first SMR design to receive approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NuScale offers the units as VOYGR plants: a VOYGR-12 power plant comprising 12 modules is capable of generating 924 MWe. The company also offers four-module and six-module plants and other configurations based on customer needs.

In November 2023, NuScale and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems mutually agreed to terminate the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), which was to have featured six NuScale power modules generating 462 MWe of electricity and which was pencilled in for operation by 2029. NuScale had placed its first upper reactor pressure vessel long-lead production order with Doosan Enerbility in March 2023 for the CFPP - the company intends to transfer those modules to its next customer.

The first-of-a-kind NuScale SMR project is now set to be constructed at a former coal plant site at Doicești, Romania.