New Projects - Nuclear

Saskatchewan government to fund $80M deployment, research of Westinghouse’s first eVinci microreactor

Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) will apply the research and knowledge gained from the licensing and deployment of an initial microreactor to support the Saskatchewan nuclear industry to better understand this type of technology and the potential for future microreactor projects in the province.
Saskatchewan government to fund $80M deployment, research of Westinghouse’s first eVinci microreactor
(Source: Business Wire)

Premier Scott Moe announced $80 million for the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) to pursue the demonstration of a microreactor in Saskatchewan, with Westinghouse’s eVinci microreactor already chosen for the project.

Through this project, the SRC is Westinghouse’s first customer for its eVinci microreactor. SRC will apply the research and knowledge gained from the licensing and deployment of an initial microreactor to support the Saskatchewan nuclear industry to better understand this type of technology and the potential for future microreactor projects in the province.

“Our vision is to see the first eVinci microreactor in an industrial application and lay the groundwork for many more projects in the future,” President and CEO of SRC Mike Crabtree said.  “What we learn through this project will prepare SRC to assist communities and industries in future projects.”

The eVinci microreactor will be built by Westinghouse Electric Company. Subject to licensing and regulatory requirements, it is expected to be operational by 2029. The location of the reactor will be determined as the project progresses through the regulatory processes. The surrounding infrastructure is less than two-thirds the size of a hockey rink.

The eVinci is classified as a microreactor capable of producing five MW of electricity, over 13 MW of high-temperature heat, or operating in combined heat and power mode.

eVinci Microreactor

The eVinci Microreactor is intended to bring carbon-free, safe and scalable energy where it is needed for a variety of applications, including electricity and heating for remote communities, universities, mining operations, industrial centers, data centers and defense facilities, and soon the lunar surface and beyond, Westinghouse said.

The eVinci microreactor has few moving parts, working essentially as a battery, which Westinghouse says provides the versatility for power systems ranging from several kilowatts to 5 MW of electricity, delivered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for eight-plus years without refueling.

It can also produce high-temperature heat suitable for industrial applications including alternative fuel production such as hydrogen, and has the flexibility to balance renewable output. The technology is 100 percent factory-built and assembled before it is shipped in a container to any location.

Last year, Power Engineering visited the Westinghouse Waltz Mill site, which provides maintenance services, testing and calibration for nuclear reactor servicing equipment, as well as the research and development (R&D) facility for its eVinci nuclear microreactor.

The microreactor can generate 5 MW of electricity or 13 MW of heat from a 15 MW thermal core. Exhaust heat from the power conversion system can be used for district heating applications or low-temperature steam. eVinci could also be used in hydrogen production, maritime or industrial heat applications.

The core design of eVinci is built around a graphite core, with channels both for heat pipes and TRISO fuel pellets. Hundreds of passive in-core heat pipes are intended to increase system reliability and safety.

Westinghouse engineers laud the microreactor’s passive cooling design. There are no pumps to circulate water or gas. The reactor’s heat pipes replace the reactor coolant pump, reactor coolant system, primary coolant chemistry control and all associated auxiliary systems.

Pipes embedded in the core transfer heat from one end to the other, where it is captured in a heat exchanger. For cooling, each heat pipe contains a small amount of sodium liquid as the working fluid to move heat from the core and is fully encapsulated in a sealed pipe.

Because of the passive nature of eVinci, Westinghouse believes it would require only a small number of onsite personnel.

“If we’re sitting at a consistent power level, even [the control drums] are not moving, they’re stationary,” said Mike Valore, Westinghouse senior Advance Reactor Commercialization director. “The goal for eVinci,” he said, is to be “completely autonomous.”