NuScale VOYGR
The first SMR with an NRC-certified design, and also the first to cancel its flagship project.
A 250 MWt, 77 MWe integral PWR module; the US460 approval covers a six-module plant (1,500 MWt/462 MWe). The NRC issued a Standard Design Approval in May 2025: it is not the US600 design certification for twelve 50 MWe modules.
- Stated output
- 250 MWt · 77 MWe net/gross basis not stated · per module
- Maturity
- Detailed design
- Developer
- NuScale Power
- Origin
- United States
Energy and applications
Published magnitudes; this is not an engineering diagram.
Three different states
Maturity, licensing and deployment are not equivalent.
Maturity
Detailed designHow far the published engineering has progressed.
Licensing and review
1 regulatory readingWhat a regulator decided, where and on what date.
Linked deployment
0 geolocated unitsWhich projects or units are linked to the design.
Linked deployment
No geolocated nuclear unit is linked to this design.
Licensing and review
What a regulator decided, where and on what date.
| Jurisdiction | Reading | Method | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Standard design approved | Standard Design Approval for the 250 MWt/77 MWe module in a six-module US460 plant; distinct from the US600 certification rule | 2025-05-29 |
Technical sources
- IAEA ARIS · SMR Catalogue 2024IAEA · 2024
- U.S. NRC · NuScale US460 Standard Design Approval reviewRegulator · 2025-05-29
- U.S. NRC · NuScale US600 design certificationRegulator · 2023-02-21
How it works and why it matters
The NuScale module is a 77 MWe integral PWR submerged in a pool, with natural circulation and no pumps. A VOYGR plant groups four to twelve modules. It was the first SMR to obtain NRC design certification, in 2023 for 50 MWe and in 2025 for 77 MWe.
Its first project, six modules in Idaho for a Utah cooperative, was canceled in November 2023 after costs rose above US$9,000 per kW. It now seeks customers among data centers and in Romania, where a plant at Doicești is under study.
Quick facts
| Power | 77 MWe per module, 4 to 12 modules |
|---|---|
| Type | integral PWR in a pool |
| NRC certification | 2023 and 2025 |
| Status 2026 | no construction; Utah project canceled in 2023 |