Hyundai E&C, FANCO to collaborate on SMR project

First American Nuclear Co's (FANCO's) EAGL-1 is a lead-bismuth cooled fast-spectrum small modular reactor (SMR) which can operate in a closed-fuel cycle in which used fuel is continuously reprocessed and reused. FANCO submitted a regulatory engagement plan for the 240 MWe SMR to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April, marking the start of its pre-application engagement with the regulator.

FANCO says its system will focus on mixed-oxide fuel and other transuranic fuels sourced from existing US Department of Energy stockpiles, although the EAGL-1 system is also capable of operating on high-assay low-enriched uranium. This "fuel-agnostic" approach means it can avoid major supply chain bottlenecks while helping reduce the nation's stockpile of long-term nuclear waste, the company says. Its BridgePower solution offers customers the ability to generate immediate power using off-the-shelf package boilers that feed steam turbines, and later seamlessly transitions to nuclear energy by replacing the boilers with the EAGL-1 reactor, using the same turbine infrastructure, with minimal equipment and modification costs.

_{A stylised rendering of a FANCO Energy Park (Image: FANCO)}

Under the new agreement, Hyundai E&C and FANCO will collaborate on the early stages of the project, including the design of the balance of plant (all support components and auxiliary systems of nuclear power generation necessary to deliver energy) for the EAGL-1 nuclear power plant, support for BridgePower solutions, constructability reviews, and modularisation strategies. The partners also plan to explore implementation measures to participate as an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partner in the EAGL-1 Project in the future.

"In particular, FANCO has announced plans to create a nuclear energy park in partnership with the state of Indiana and is planning to establish a next-generation nuclear cluster linking nuclear manufacturing facilities with energy complexes, so the cooperative relationship between the two companies is expected to expand further in the future," Hyundai E&C said.

"This contract is significant in that it provides Hyundai E&C with an opportunity to participate in the US next-generation SMR project from initial design review to EPC execution, and expands its reactor cooperation network within the US," a Hyundai E&C official said. "Through strategic cooperation with FANCO, we will support the successful commercialisation of EAGL-1 and further solidify our leading position in the rapidly growing US SMR market."

In May, FANCO and Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRéalis formed a strategic alliance to establish a scalable framework for deploying FANCO's EAGL-1 SMR and associated fuel facilities, with AtkinsRéalis providing engineering services.