NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR) released results from a comprehensive two-year techno-economic assessment (TEA) demonstrating that its small modular reactor (SMR) technology -- specifically the NuScale Power Module (NPM) -- can reliably and profitably supply both high-temperature process steam and electric power to energy-intensive industrial facilities such as chemical plants.

Conducted in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative, the study compared hybrid nuclear/gas systems against conventional steam and power setups, using actual industrial demand profiles.

Key Findings: Industrial Scale, Reliability & Profitability

The TEA results indicate that NuScale's SMR architecture -- built around the NRC-approved 77 MWe/250 MWt NPM design with high-temperature steam augmentation -- can meet and exceed the power and steam requirements of a large U.S. chemical plant while offering flexible, competitive economics:

• Scalable configurations: A hybrid system of NPMs and natural gas boilers can be tailored to plant needs -- from a minimum 4-module setup capable of covering all steam and power demand, to an 8-module configuration with built-in reliability redundancy.

• Profit maximization: A 12-NPM plant model not only fulfills industrial requirements but also generates excess electricity that can be sold to the grid, improving overall project economics.

• Robust output levels: The integrated system supplied up to 1.3 million kg/hour of process steam at 400 °C and 4.1 MPa, alongside roughly 73 MWe of electricity -- meeting industrial thresholds for both thermal and electric loads.

The study confirms that hybrid combinations of SMRs with traditional boilers are both technically viable and financially attractive, offering industrial operators options that balance reliability, scalability, and cost.

Implications for Industrial Energy Use

Chemical manufacturing -- and similarly energy-intensive sectors such as refining, petrochemicals, and materials processing -- depend on continuous, high-quality steam and electric power. NuScale's findings suggest its SMR technology can serve as a baseload energy source that stabilizes production while reducing dependency on fossil fuels and volatile energy markets.

NuScale's approach capitalizes on the modular flexibility of SMRs: each Power Module produces about 77 MWe of electricity and 250 MWt of heat, and multiple modules can be combined to match larger facilities' needs while maintaining high capacity factors and reduced staffing requirements compared with traditional nuclear systems.

Strategic Context & Fuel for Decarbonization

The study builds on NuScale's leadership in small modular reactor deployment -- the first and only SMR design certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission -- and highlights nuclear's expanding role beyond pure electricity generation into industrial process heat and combined steam/electric solutions.

Industrial decarbonization initiatives are driving interest in low-carbon steam and electric supply. NuScale's findings add to a growing body of research supporting nuclear-enabled industrial microgrids and hybrid systems that can integrate with renewables, improve energy security, and reduce greenhouse gas footprints for manufacturing sectors historically reliant on fossil fuels.

Outlook & Next Steps

With this study now publicly available through the DOE's Office of Scientific and Technical Information, NuScale has validated a compelling use case for SMR technology in industrial energy markets -- a sector often overlooked in mainstream nuclear discussions. Continued refinement of cost models, commercial partnerships, and deployment strategies could accelerate interest among chemical producers and other heavy industries seeking profitable, reliable, low-carbon power solutions.

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COMTEX_471951902/2927/2026-01-12T11:49:57