Hyperion Power Generation Uranium Hydride Nuclear Reactor Factories

Hyperion Power Generation plans to build a small reactor manufacturing plant in the United Kingdom within the next two years. The firm says it plans to use the existing UK supply chain to build its 70MWt (27MWe), self-regulating reactor and that the UK will be its ‘launch pad’ for the European market.

H/T AtomicInsights

“We have customer commitments for over a hundred units already. We’re going to be very busy! In fact, we’re now scheduling deliveries out to 2018-2020 even though we expect to go to market in the 2013-2014 timeframe.”

Hyperion plans to build three manufacturing facilities: one in the USA to support the North and Latin America markets, and a third in Asia, probably Japan. Although the firm hasn’t made a decision on where its UK plant will be located, it’s likely to be near existing nuclear facilities, which are clustered around the Sellafield site in Cumbria, northeast England.

Deal said that Hyperion is in discussions with economic development organisations around the UK, as it decides where to locate the plant, which would employ around 200 people. This process that is likely to take a couple of years. “It might be possible to use existing facilities; we just don’t know yet,” he said. The firm is in discussions with the existing UK supply chain, too.

Hyperion’s small reactor would not be in competition with larger reactors and would be a source of incremental revenue to existing suppliers, Deal says.

Deal said that Hyperion expects to submit its design certification application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission ‘within the next year’. It also plans to get its design licensed in the UK.

In terms of cost the reactor itself will cost approximately $30 million. Deal says that the firm is committed to generating electricity for less than 10 cents/kWh. “If you look in terms of reactor cost, plus plant side it comes out to be $2000/kW. But, it depends on if you’re retrofitting to replace coal or gas plants.”

The Hyperion Power Module – like the company itself, which employs less than 100 people – defines small. At just 1.5m wide and 2m tall the reactor can be transported to site by ship, rail or road. It will be able to produce power for 8-10 years depending on the application, after which it will need to be returned to the factory for refuelling.

Hyperion’s reactor can be used for decentralised power, for military installations, dedicated applications such as mining operations, factories, water treatment or sewage facilities.

Deal said that Hyperion has had several enquiries from people who want to use its reactor as a source of baseload power for wind projects. There is also the option that Hyperion reactors could be used to retrofit fossil fuel plants. “We are essentially selling the heat. That means we’re incredibly flexible for retrofit.”