300-megawatt reactor that cools itself with gravity instead of pumps

[Rennhack]

300-megawatt reactor that cools itself with gravity instead of pumps.

https://www.autonocion.com/us/america-small-nuclear-reactor/

[Core Content]

BWRX-300 reactor GE Vernova rendering

America is about to build a 300-megawatt nuclear reactor that cools itself with gravity instead of pumps, a machine that fits on two soccer fields and powers 300,000 homes, going up on federal land next to the old Oak Ridge weapons labs

The Tennessee Valley Authority has submitted a construction permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a 300-megawatt BWRX-300 small modular reactor. The proposed facility is located on a federal site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The project aims to utilize passive, gravity-based cooling systems to generate power for approximately 300,000 homes.

This project represents a shift toward standardized, fleet-based nuclear deployment intended to reduce construction timelines and costs. By utilizing a design with a proven lineage, the utility seeks to establish a replicable model for other power providers facing rising electricity demand. The outcome of this regulatory review will influence the viability of small modular reactors as a primary solution for grid-scale, around-the-clock power generation in the United States.

Most nuclear news that goes viral involves something enormous being lowered into a hole. A thousand-ton slab of concrete, a reactor vessel the size of a grain

That filing might end up mattering more than any single crane lift. With it, TVA became the first US utility to formally ask permission to build a small modular reactor it actually intends to operate, a 300-megawatt machine called the BWRX-300, on a federal site next to the old weapons labs at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The reason any of this lands on an energy reader's radar is simpler than the reactor physics. US electricity demand is climbing for the first time in a generation, data centers are a big part of why, and utilities are hunting for anything that puts firm, around-the-clock power on the grid without a fifteen-year construction saga. TVA's answer is to be first in line for a small reactor and let everyone else watch how it goes.

Read the full article at AutoNotion:
https://www.autonocion.com/us/america-small-nuclear-reactor/