TextSearch

Information on advanced small modular reactors and the Department of Energy’s Small Modular Reactor Licensing Technical Support (SMR-LTS) Program.

Advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) | Department of Energy Skip to main content Enter the terms you wish to search for. Search National Labs Energy.gov Offices Leadership Newsroom History Organization Chart Work with Us Office of Nuclear Energy Main navigation Office of Nuclear Energy Home About Us About Us Leadership Budget History Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee Contact Us Energy.gov Home Reactor Technologies Reactor Technologies Light Water Reactors Advanced Reactors Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program Versatile Test Reactor Small Modular Reactors Initiatives Initiatives Consent-Based Siting Fuel Cycle Technologies HALEU Consortium International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation Nuclear Facility Operations Advanced Modeling & Simulation Nuclear Energy University Program Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies Space Power Systems Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition Tribal Working Group Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) Funding Opportunities NICE Future Information Resources Information Resources Multimedia Resources Newsletter STEM Resources Document Library Careers Events button button Reactor Technologies Light Water Reactors Advanced Reactors Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program Versatile Test Reactor Small Modular Reactors Advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) Office of Nuclear Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Reactor Technologies Advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) NuScale Power Reactor Building NuScale Power Reactors. ©NuScale Power, LLC, All Rights Reserved These advanced reactors, envisioned to vary in size from tens of megawatts up to hundreds of megawatts, can be used for power generation, process heat, desalination, or other industrial uses. Advanced Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are a key part of the Department’s goal to develop safe, clean, and affordable nuclear power options. The advanced SMRs currently under development in the United States represent a variety of sizes, technology options, capabilities, and deployment scenarios. These advanced reactors, envisioned to vary in size from tens of megawatts up to hundreds of megawatts, can be used for power generation, process heat, desalination, or other industrial uses. SMR designs may employ light water as a coolant or other non-light water coolants such as a gas, liquid metal, or molten salt. Advanced SMRs offer many advantages, such as relatively small physical footprints, reduced capital investment, ability to be sited in locations not possible for larger nuclear plants, and provisions for incremental power additions. SMRs also offer distinct safeguards, security and nonproliferation advantages. The Department has long recognized the transformational value that advanced SMRs can provide to the nation’s economic, energy security, and environmental outlook. Accordingly, the Department has provided substantial support to the development of light water-cooled SMRs, which are under licensing review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and will likely be deployed in the late 2020s to early 2030s. The Department is also interested in the development of SMRs that use nontraditional coolants such as liquid metals, salts, and gases for the potential safety, operational, and economic benefits they offer. Advanced SMR R&D Program Building on the successes of the SMR Licensing Technical Support (LTS) program, the Advanced SMR R&D program was initiated in FY2019 and supports research, development, and deployment activities to accelerate the availability of U.S.-based SMR technologies into domestic and international markets. Significant technology development and licensing risks remain in bringing advanced SMR designs to market and government support is required to achieve domestic deployment of SMRs by the late 2020s or early 2030s.  Through this program, the Department has partnered with NuScale Power and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) to demonstrate a first-of-a-kind reactor technology at the Idaho National Laboratory this decade. Through these efforts, the Department will provide broad benefits to other domestic reactor developers by resolving many technical and licensing issues that are generic to SMR technologies, while promoting U.S. energy independence, energy dominance, and electricity grid resilience, and assuring that there is a future supply of clean, reliable baseload power. U.S. Industry Opportunities for Advanced Nuclear Technology Development  The Department issued a multi-year cost-shared funding opportunity (U.S. Industry Opportunities for Advanced Nuclear Technology Development, DE-FOA-0001817) in 2018 to support innovative, domestic nuclear industry-driven concepts that have high potential to improve the overall economic outlook for nuclear power in the United States. This funding opportunity will enable the development of existing, new, and next-generation reactor designs, including SMR technologies. The scope of the funding opportunity is very broad and solicits activities involved in finalizing the most mature SMR designs; developing manufacturing capabilities and techniques to improve cost and efficiency of nuclear builds; developing plant structures, systems, components, and control systems; addressing regulatory issues; and other technical needs identified by industry. The funding opportunity will provide awards sized and tailored to address a range of technical and regulatory issues impeding the progress of advanced reactor development. Read more on the FOA. Also, see the awards that have been selected to date. SMR-Related Reports Report: Examination of Federal Financial Assistance in the Renewable Energy Market Learn more Small Modular Reactors: Adding to Resilience at Federal Facilities Learn more Purchasing Power Produced by Small Modular Reactors: Federal Agency Options Learn more SMR-Related News DOE Approves Award for Carbon Free Power Project Learn more NRC Approves First U.S. Small Modular Reactor Design Learn more First U.S. Small Modular Boiling Water Reactor Under Development Learn more Office of Nuclear Energy 1000 Independence Ave. SWWashington DC 20585202-586-5000 Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin An office of About Office of Nuclear Energy Careers & Internships Initiatives Contact Us Energy.gov Resources Budget & Performance Directives, Delegations & Requirements FOIA Inspector General Privacy Program Small Business Federal Government The White House USA.gov Vote.gov Web Policies Privacy No Fear Act Whistleblower Protection Notice of EEO Findings of Discrimination Information Quality Open Gov Accessibility Vulnerability Disclosure Program