Assessment of a small pressurized water reactor for industrial energy

An evaluation of several recent ERDA/ORNL sponsored studies on the application of a small, 365 MW(t) pressurized water reactor for industrial energy is presented. Preliminary studies have investigated technical and reliability requirements; costs for nuclear and fossil based steam were compared, including consideration of economic inflation and financing methods. For base-load industrial steam production, small reactors appear economically attractive relative to coal fired boilers that use coal priced at $30/ton.