WITH labs in Warrington, Jacobs has been selected by Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation UK to support the design and development of a new micro modular power reactor.
The U.K. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has awarded USNC a grant of up to $29 million toward the development cost of the MMR Energy System, which is designed to support the transition away from fossil fuels.
The grant, match funded by USNC, will enable the second phase of work toward building a U.K. demonstrator of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor by the early 2030s.
“This high-temperature reactor has the potential to assist the world’s energy transition and take nuclear power into a new era,” said Jacobs Energy, Security & Technology Senior Vice President Karen Wiemelt. “With 60 years of experience in research, design and operational support for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, Jacobs is ideally placed to support USNC through a range of scientific, engineering and program management capabilities.”
Jacobs will support the front-end engineering design program as a leading subcontractor to USNC. This will include reactor analysis, refueling system, primary and secondary systems, safety systems, associated testing facilities, human factors, safety case and security, licensing and regulation, overall system integration and preparation for delivery of the demonstrator model.
Seattle-based USNC plans to deploy its MMR Energy System in North America and Europe and has demonstration projects underway at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and at the University of Illinois.
Using encapsulated TRISO Particle Fuel and cooled by helium, the MMR Energy System meets the highest safety standards and emits no carbon during operation. It is designed to replace gas plants which are currently used to balance power grids when renewable sources fail to generate electricity due to wind and solar intermittency. The reactor can provide power for urban areas, large industrial users, or off-grid locations, and the U.K. demonstrator will also focus on the production of high-temperature process heat for industrial applications.
