Westinghouse nuclear fuel plant in U.K. reaches SMR capacity milestone

Westinghouse Electric's Springfields nuclear-fuel production facility in Salwick, England,  has reached the capacity requirements necessary to manufacture small modular reactor (SMR) fuel assemblies, the company said this week.

Westinghouse said this is a milestone in relation to the company’s partnership with the U.K. government in developing SMR technology.

“Manufacturing Westinghouse SMR fuel at Springfields will secure the future of a strategic national asset of nuclear fuel manufacturing capability and safeguard highly skilled and highly paid U.K. jobs – something that no other SMR technology provider currently offers,” Springfields Managing Director Mick Gornall said.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) defines SMRs as having smaller-generation capacities, approximately 300 megawatts or under. The DOE said SMR technology will likely be an important part of the energy industry internationally and that it could be commercially deployed within the next decade.