Battelle Energy Alliance calls for industry partners in advanced construction technology push

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, is seeking interested industry partners to develop or demonstrate advanced construction technologies and processes that could transform nuclear energy system project economics and schedule success.

“Construction costs and schedule risks are predominant factors driving up the costs of new nuclear energy systems,” Dr. Ashley Finan, director of the National Reactor Innovation Center, said. “The NRIC advanced construction technologies initiative will support a transformation in nuclear energy construction and deployment costs and scalability, enabling nuclear energy to make important contributions to the energy system of the future.”

The NRIC is executing the initiative as a means of enabling advanced reactor demonstration and deployment. It is led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Lab, for which BEA is the managing and operating contractor.

Partnerships could include the development or demonstration of advanced construction technologies and processes that would significantly reduce the cost and schedule risk involved in new nuclear plant construction. They could also help reduce the risk and cost to long-term economics of nuclear deployment on a global scale. Accordingly, all applicants will have to demonstrate experience and capability to be considered for a future request for proposal. In essence, the current call is just to gather information and help the BEA plan going forward.

Those interested in a partnership are encouraged to respond by May 16.