US-based nuclear power company NuScale Power and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) have mutually agreed to terminate the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP).
CFPP is a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) power plant planned to be constructed at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory, featuring NuScale’s SMR technology.
The nuclear power plant was designed with six SMR modules of 77MW capacity each, to generate 462MW of clean energy, after becoming commercially operational in 2030.
CFPP was destined to provide safe, reliable, and cost-competitive clean energy to communities across the Intermountain West region.
However, UAMPS and NuScale have mutually agreed to terminate the project, as the project lacked adequate subscriptions to continue toward deployment.
Several UAMPS member towns have withdrawn from the project, despite significant efforts by both parties, due to an increase in costs.
UAMPS CEO and general manager Mason Baker said: “This decision is very disappointing given the years of pioneering hard work put into the CFPP by UAMPS, CFPP LLC, NuScale, U.S. Department of Energy, and the UAMPS member communities that took the leadership role to launch the CFPP.
“Yet, this decision is the best course for the UAMPS members participating in the CFPP and doing what is best for those member communities will always be the guiding light in such decisions.”
In 2020, DOE approved a 10-year financing totalling $1.35bn, for the small modular reactor project, subject to congressional appropriations.
Since 2014, NuScale has received about $600m to support the design, licensing, and siting works for the nuclear power project.
Earlier this year, NuScale and Doosan Enerbility commenced the forging production process for the first module to be deployed on VOYGR-6 at CFPP.
NuScale president and CEO John Hopkins said: “Through our work with UAMPS and our partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, we have advanced our NuScale Power Modules to the point that utilities, governments and industrials can rely on a proven small modular reactor (SMR) technology that has regulatory approval and is in active production.
“Our work with CFPP over the past ten years has advanced NuScale technology to the stage of commercial deployment; reaching that milestone is a tremendous success which we will continue to build on with future customers.
“NuScale will continue with our other domestic and international customers to bring our American SMR technology to market and grow the U.S. nuclear manufacturing base, creating jobs across the US.”
