There are currently more than 300 nuclear power plants of this type in operation worldwide.
PWR-type reactors operate in a two-circuit system:
HIGHEST LEVEL OF SECURITY
Thanks to proven Generation III reactor technology and the use of passive safety systems
RELIABLE SOURCE OF “CLEAN” ENERGY
Consistent and reliable production of low-emission electricity and heat for 60 years
PWR reactors operate in a two-cycle system:
Primary circuit elements: reactor vessel with core, heat exchanger (steam generator), main circulation pump, pressure stabilizer.
Secondary circuit elements: steam generator, steam turbine, condenser, feed water pump, regenerative heaters.
In both the primary and secondary circuits, the working medium is water. In the steam generator, the primary-circuit water flows through thousands of tubes, turning the secondary-circuit water that flows around it into high-pressure steam. The steam generated expands in the steam turbine driving the generators, condenses in the condenser and, as feed water, is pumped back into the steam generator.
The Rolls Royce SMR reactor consists of a single, three-loop PWR with an electrical output of 470 MWe, using standard UO2 fuel. The design has multiple active and passive safety systems, each with significant internal redundancy (redundancy). The Rolls Royce SMR generates 1358MW of thermal power at a temperature of approximately 3000C. The plant can generate up to 470MW of net electrical power and recover a scalable amount of thermal energy for use in district heating systems or industrial plants to support a variety of industrial processes, including but not limited to hydrogen production. The life of the power plant is expected to be 60 years.
An innovative concept using prefabrication and modularisation allows for a repeatable nuclear unit design with unified modules, resulting in shorter project times. The entire power plant is built using approximately 1 500 standardised, portable modules manufactured and tested in factories away from the construction site to minimise the work performed on site. This enables a significant reduction in manpower resources and more accurate investment planning, using data on factory deliveries and capacities.
In addition, Rolls Royce SMR has designed a temporary hall structure on the power station site, which forms the external envelope. Underneath the hall, assembly work will be carried out, using previously tested, prepared and imported modules. This solution makes it possible to work on the construction of the power plant 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – independent of weather factors such as precipitation, high and low temperatures or wind strength. This gives confidence that the SMR will be built and commissioned within the anticipated four-year period.
| Parameters | Values |
| Reactor type | PWR |
| Electricity capacity (MWe) | 470 |
| Thermal power (MWth) | 1358 |
| Expected availability (%) | >95 |
| Design lifetime (years) | 60 |
| Energy conversion process | The Rankine cycle |
| Passive safety functions | Yes |
| Active safety functions | Yes |
| Fuel type / fuel cassette mesh | Standard 17×17 UO2 fuel, enrichment < 4.95% |
| Fuel cycle (months) | 18-24 |
| Safety systems | Active and passive |
| Fuel handling interval (days) | <18 |
