NuScale Power to Collaborate with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to Explore Artificial Intelligence-Guided Nuclear Fuel Management

Core Insights - NuScale Power Corporation is collaborating with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to utilize an AI-enabled nuclear design framework for optimizing nuclear fuel management across multiple reactors at a single site [1][2] - The collaboration is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative, which provides technical, regulatory, and financial support for advancing nuclear technology [1][2] - The partnership aims to explore options for reducing fuel costs and enhancing fuel efficiency by sharing fuel across up to 12 NuScale Power Modules (NPMs) [1][2] Company Overview - NuScale Power, founded in 2007, is a leading provider of advanced small modular reactor (SMR) technology, aiming to deliver safe, scalable, and reliable carbon-free energy [1] - The NuScale Power Module™ can generate 77 megawatts of electricity (MWe) or 250 megawatts thermal (gross), and can be scaled to meet customer needs with configurations up to 924 MWe [1] - NuScale is the first and only SMR to have its designs certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, positioning the company to serve diverse customers globally [1] Research and Development - The collaboration with ORNL will leverage AI and machine learning to improve fuel management strategies, potentially leading to significant cost reductions [1] - The study will focus on optimizing fuel management methods that are already established for single reactors, but will apply them to a multi-module architecture [1] - By utilizing a shared fuel pool, NuScale aims to enhance overall plant fuel efficiencies beyond traditional single reactor plants [1]