Westinghouse announces a new small modular nuclear reactor

Westinghouse went bankrupt in 2017 [0] after major project mismanagement [1] that precipitated in federal felony indictments for its executives [2]. I think this is relevant background exposition that&#x27;s missing from the CNBC writeup.<p>[0] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=13987046" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=13987046</a> (<i>&quot;Westinghouse Files for Bankruptcy, in Blow to Nuclear Power&quot;</i>, 388 comments)<p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Nukegate_scandal" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Nukegate_scandal</a><p>[2] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.justice.gov&#x2F;usao-sc&#x2F;pr&#x2F;top-westinghouse-nuclear-executive-charged-conspiracy-fraud-16-count-federal-indictment" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.justice.gov&#x2F;usao-sc&#x2F;pr&#x2F;top-westinghouse-nuclear-...</a>

Not small, modular, or new. But certainly a decent reactor. They clearly want something to slot in against the GE BWRX-300. But they would probably be better served by going all-in on their eVinci reactor, which <i>is</i> small, modular, and new<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.westinghousenuclear.com&#x2F;energy-systems&#x2F;evinci-microreactor" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.westinghousenuclear.com&#x2F;energy-systems&#x2F;evinci-mi...</a>

300 MW is still pretty big, isn&#x27;t it? Why don&#x27;t they build nuclear reactors that can be made on a factory assembly line, shipped on the back of truck, and installed right where it&#x27;s needed in a town?<p>I assume the reactors in a nuclear sub are sort of like what I&#x27;m talking about.

SMRs seem to get announced quite often. I&#x27;d rather they just build one instead of announcing a new one.

Companies can announce all the small modular reactors they want, but it is critical that someone actually builds one.

The ACP100 is the first small LWR to be constructed and is close to completion<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;nucleus.iaea.org&#x2F;sites&#x2F;INPRO&#x2F;df13&#x2F;Presentations&#x2F;011_CNNC%27s%20ACP100%20SMR-Technique%20Features%20and%20Progress%20in%20China.pdf" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;nucleus.iaea.org&#x2F;sites&#x2F;INPRO&#x2F;df13&#x2F;Presentations&#x2F;011_...</a><p>The BWRX300 from GE is coming on strong in terms of orders, it is parallel to the AP300 as it can be seen as a cut down version of the ESBWR which unfortunately never got built.<p>On one hand the small LWR might solve the constructibility problem of the large LWR but the whole reason the LWR got big is that the economics of an LWR are better than a small LWR on paper. Probably the best way to solve the constructibility problem of the large LWR is to solve the constructibility problem of the large LWR which the Russians seem to have done in that they are building VVER 1200s on a routine basis in Russia but also in Turkey, Egypt, China and other places.<p>I wonder how much of the trouble the first AP1000s had was due to being the first (took forever to figure out how to make the primary coolant pump) and how much is intrinsic to the design. If the world had committed to building one a year would it eventually have become routine?

Good that Germany left this evil technology! Imagine Siemens presenting such device, unbelievable. They can watch how other players eat their lunch. Like it happened with computer software and how it’s happening with electrical vehicles. Yes, please downvote me, but coal burning whole winter will not help climate at all.

“Westinghouse has an agreement to build nine AP1000s in Ukraine.”<p>The post-war reconstruction project planning is already in the works.

About a year ago, a study was published which looked at 3 types of SMRs and found that they produced more waste per unit energy produced, in part because smaller reactors have more neutron leakage. Of course, this new reactor was not one of the designs analyzed, but I wonder if the same concerns apply.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.stanford.edu&#x2F;2022&#x2F;05&#x2F;30&#x2F;small-modular-reactors-produce-high-levels-nuclear-waste&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.stanford.edu&#x2F;2022&#x2F;05&#x2F;30&#x2F;small-modular-reactors-...</a> <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pnas.org&#x2F;doi&#x2F;full&#x2F;10.1073&#x2F;pnas.2111833119" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pnas.org&#x2F;doi&#x2F;full&#x2F;10.1073&#x2F;pnas.2111833119</a>

So why is the bigger one almost 2x as expensive per MW than the smaller one to build ?

How does power output scale relative to reactor size? Is the size difference for &quot;1&#x2F;3 the output&quot; significant?

How long does it take for a nuclear plant to get approved and come online?

Can consumers buy this? I&#x27;d like one in my backyard

westinghouse literally changed the game with their low cost lcd tvs, and now this!

&gt; <i>Westinghouse is offering a smaller-scale nuclear reactor in an effort to expand access to nuclear power as demand for clean energy soars.</i><p>Did they copy that verbatim from the press release? Seems kind of uncritical on CNBC&#x27;s side to simply equate &quot;nuclear&quot; with &quot;clean energy&quot;...