Doosan Enerbility Begins Full-Scale SMR Reactor Production

Doosan Enerbility is making significant strides in starting full-scale production of a reactor, a crucial element for the largest small modular reactor (SMR) project in the United States. On October 29th, the company announced it had entered into a contract with NuScale Power, a U.S.-based firm, to manufacture an upper reactor pressure vessel module (URPV) for an SMR.

This marks the first instance of full-scale commercial reactor production for an SMR design that has been approved by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The contract signing took place at Doosan Enerbility's headquarters in Changwon, attended by senior executives from both companies, including NuScale Power's COO Carl Fisher and Doosan Enerbility's Nuclear Business Group President Kim Jong-doo.

The upper reactor module, which Doosan Enerbility will produce, serves as a vital component of the reactor pressure vessel's upper section, housing high-temperature and high-pressure coolant. The two companies had previously signed an SMR material manufacturing agreement in 2023, and through this latest contract, they have expanded their collaboration from the materials preparation stage to the full equipment manufacturing stage.

NuScale Power's SMR design involves manufacturing major equipment in modular form at a factory, which is then installed on site. This approach is considered a key competitive advantage, capable of reducing construction timelines and costs compared to traditional large nuclear power plants. NuScale Power CEO John Hopkins stated that this contract signifies a significant milestone in transforming an NRC-approved design into a module that can be supplied to customers on schedule.

Doosan Enerbility's President Kim Jong-doo added that this contract signifies a pivotal point at which SMRs transition from the technical verification stage to the actual manufacturing stage.