Company sees commercialisation by decade's end A reactor facility such as the eVinci microreactor could provide a steady supply of non-emitting energy 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Courtesy Westinghouse. US-based Westinghouse Electric Company said it has submitted a pre-application regulatory engagement plan to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the company’s eVinci microreactor.

The regulatory engagement plan serves as a roadmap for the interaction and communication between the regulator and the applicant regarding licensing approach, problem resolution, and schedule expectations. According to the NRC, the primary intent of such a document is to reduce regulatory uncertainty

Westinghouse said the plan is a “regulatory milestone”, and includes information on the design of the eVinci microreactor and the proposed regulatory strategies including manufacturing, transportation, operation, and refuelling.

According to Westinghouse, eVinci is a next-generation, very small modular reactor for decentralised generation purposes including off-grid sites, remote communities, disaster recovery, industrial sites, defense facilities, marine propulsion, hydrogen generation, and water purification among others.

The small size of eVinci reactor, between 5-10-MW, would allow for easier transportation and rapid on-site installation, Westinghouse has previously said.

David Durham, president of Westinghouse Energy Systems, said the regulatory engagement plan application brings the eVinci reactor design close to commercialiastion by the end of the decade.