By ANNA DOLIANITIS
COLUMBIA -- The Savannah River Site is the ideal place to demonstrate the first small modular nuclear reactor, Gov. Nikki Haley said during a press conference at the State House Tuesday, and "Team South Carolina" stands ready to be at the forefront of the new technology.
Through a Department of Energy program, investment funds totaling $450 million will be awarded to two projects believed to have the most potential and promise to achieve licensing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and become commercially operational by 2022.
The five-year cost-share agreements will provide a total of about $900 million, at least 50 percent of which will be contributed by private industry.
South Carolina wants to be awarded both of the projects, Haley said, but would settle for at least one when the recipients are announced in August.
"This means jobs," Haley said. "We want the projects. We want good, quality companies to work on the projects, but more than anything, we want the country to see that South Carolina is stepping forward, not backward... that South Carolina is ready from a workforce standpoint, we're ready from an investment standpoint, we're ready from a technical standpoint, we're ready from a business standpoint, and we're ready for Team South Carolina."
The governor was joined at Tuesday's press conference by nuclear industry members who are vying for the DOE funding.
Holtec International, one of the companies competing for the funding, hopes to be selected and to deploy an SMR at SRS, its President and CEO Kris Singh said.
Singh's company has never before applied for federal funding, he said, but this partnership could "regain this country's dominance in nuclear energy."
Plus, Singh said, if Holtec fails to receive NRC licensing, the company would return the funding in its entirety.
The project would bring manufacturing to the area and create "thousands" of jobs, Singh said.
"I want you to think of this like the Olympics," Haley said. "South Carolina is trying to vie for the Olympics. Every state wants it, every state is going to fight to get it.
"We're sending a message to the Department of Energy (that) this is something that South Carolina not only wants, but we're going to fight for."
NuScale Power, LLC and NuHub, a Columbia-based economic development initiative, also announced plans in April to collaborate to pursue an SMR at SRS.
The possibility of a small modular reactor that could power the DOE Hanford vitrification plant in Washington has also been discussed.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions President and CEO Dwayne Wilson said Tuesday in Columbia that even if other sites are vying to be the location of the SMRs, SRS is the best place for it.
He cited the nuclear-friendly community, the educated nuclear workforce, and the Savannah River National Laboratory as key advantages that exist at and around the 310-square-mile site that other sites lack.
"We're kind of in the renaissance of nuclear power," he said. "There's lots of states that are interested, but none like our state. There are no sites exactly like ours that can close the fuel cycle and make sure it is a success."
Wilson was proud and excited by the support shown for the site Tuesday, he said, adding that the site has the infrastructure and unique attributes to be able to handle more than just the two SMRs.
"There's competition, but I think we've got a leg up. We have the core offering that I think is better," Wilson said.
DOE is expected to announce the two recipients in August.
Anna Dolianitis is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, as well as court and legal matters affecting Aiken County. She has been with the Aiken Standard since August 2010.![]()
COLUMBIA -- The Savannah River Site is the ideal place to demonstrate the first small modular nuclear reactor, Gov. Nikki Haley said during a press conference at the State House Tuesday, and "Team South Carolina" stands ready to be at the forefront of the new technology.
Through a Department of Energy program, investment funds totaling $450 million will be awarded to two projects believed to have the most potential and promise to achieve licensing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and become commercially operational by 2022.
The five-year cost-share agreements will provide a total of about $900 million, at least 50 percent of which will be contributed by private industry.
South Carolina wants to be awarded both of the projects, Haley said, but would settle for at least one when the recipients are announced in August.
"This means jobs," Haley said. "We want the projects. We want good, quality companies to work on the projects, but more than anything, we want the country to see that South Carolina is stepping forward, not backward... that South Carolina is ready from a workforce standpoint, we're ready from an investment standpoint, we're ready from a technical standpoint, we're ready from a business standpoint, and we're ready for Team South Carolina."
The governor was joined at Tuesday's press conference by nuclear industry members who are vying for the DOE funding.
Holtec International, one of the companies competing for the funding, hopes to be selected and to deploy an SMR at SRS, its President and CEO Kris Singh said.
Singh's company has never before applied for federal funding, he said, but this partnership could "regain this country's dominance in nuclear energy."
Plus, Singh said, if Holtec fails to receive NRC licensing, the company would return the funding in its entirety.
The project would bring manufacturing to the area and create "thousands" of jobs, Singh said.
"I want you to think of this like the Olympics," Haley said. "South Carolina is trying to vie for the Olympics. Every state wants it, every state is going to fight to get it.
"We're sending a message to the Department of Energy (that) this is something that South Carolina not only wants, but we're going to fight for."
NuScale Power, LLC and NuHub, a Columbia-based economic development initiative, also announced plans in April to collaborate to pursue an SMR at SRS.
The possibility of a small modular reactor that could power the DOE Hanford vitrification plant in Washington has also been discussed.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions President and CEO Dwayne Wilson said Tuesday in Columbia that even if other sites are vying to be the location of the SMRs, SRS is the best place for it.
He cited the nuclear-friendly community, the educated nuclear workforce, and the Savannah River National Laboratory as key advantages that exist at and around the 310-square-mile site that other sites lack.
"We're kind of in the renaissance of nuclear power," he said. "There's lots of states that are interested, but none like our state. There are no sites exactly like ours that can close the fuel cycle and make sure it is a success."
Wilson was proud and excited by the support shown for the site Tuesday, he said, adding that the site has the infrastructure and unique attributes to be able to handle more than just the two SMRs.
"There's competition, but I think we've got a leg up. We have the core offering that I think is better," Wilson said.
DOE is expected to announce the two recipients in August.
Anna Dolianitis is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, as well as court and legal matters affecting Aiken County. She has been with the Aiken Standard since August 2010.