Millions sought for mini-nuke projectApr 17 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - The State (Columbia, S.C.)
A coalition of public and private partners teamed up Tuesday to attempt to bring mini-nuclear reactor development to South Carolina. NuHub and the state of South Carolina announced a partnership with Holtec International Inc. to compete for up to $226 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for innovation, design and licensing in small modular reactor development. Officials announced the partnership at a breakfast kicking off Columbia's third annual Small Modular Reactor Conference, which continues through today and was expected to attract 200 attendees from throughout the world. "We have a tremendous opportunity to be a global leader in nuclear technology by developing the nation's first small modular reactors," S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley said in a release announcing the project. If the team can win funding, it would be able to develop, license and build Holtec's flagship reactor, the SMR-160, at Aiken's Savannah River Site by a target date of 2025, the release said. NuHub has been working for two years to bring mini-nuke development to the Midlands. Boosters say the reactors could crack the nation's dependence on foreign oil, gobble up nuclear waste and create thousands of manufacturing jobs in nuclear-friendly South Carolina. But critics say the technology is still in its infancy and could be dangerous. http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=28270489 |