Five things to know about TVA's new small modular nuclear reactor

The Tennessee Valley Authority is firming up plans for its next generation of nuclear power plants with the announcement this week that it will build a cutting-edge reactor near Oak Ridge in partnership with three other companies.

The federal utility has signed an agreement with the companies to develop the design for a new nuclear reactor - known as a small modular reactor - that will be far smaller than the existing plants known for their massive cooling towers.

TVA and its partners - the joint American-Japanese GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Ontario Power Generation in Canada and Synthos Green Energy in Poland - will spend about $400 million on the project. The TVA board already has authorized $200 million for the program, which will cover TVA's portion.

More on today's news by TVA:TVA's next-gen small nuclear reactor will open at Clinch River site in Oak Ridge

The new plants are smaller, less expensive and easier to build.

Here are five things to know about TVA's investments into small modular reactors:

Where in Tennessee will the new nuclear plant be located?

The Clinch River nuclear site is located in Kingston near the Oak Ridge Turnpike. During Gov. Bill Lee's March 3 visit to the site, TVA CEO Jeff Lyash said the location was perfect because it's near Oak Ridge's longstanding nuclear sites and it's on a bend in the Clinch River where the cold water can be used for cooling.

TVA owns the land because it was part of a previous project in the 1970s, so using it for small modular reactors means a return on the TVA's investment decades later.

Is the technology safe?

Small modular reactors are designed to be much safer than current large reactors operating across the U.S., though it's a new technology so there's no safety record.

The design for small modular reactors and construction process will be regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees the civilian use of radioactive material.

The emergency planning zone around TVA's current nuclear reactors is 10 miles in every direction. These zones are established with oversight by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reduce or prevent radiation exposure in an emergency to those who live near nuclear plants.

For this smaller reactor, the emergency zone will not go beyond the boundary of the plant property.

How many small modular reactors does TVA plan to build?

The Clinch River site could house at least four small modular reactors, Joe Shea, TVA's senior technical advisor for the project, told reporters earlier this month.

Lyash said that if TVA is successful in building one unit, it would build four and if those are successful, the federal utility could install small reactors at other sites.

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How big is one small modular reactor?

One small modular reactor is about the size of a football field, Shea said. The reactor will include a reactor building, a turbine building and a control room, according to a TVA rendering of the design.

How soon will the new reactor be online?

It will be the early 2030s "at best," Shea said, before the small modular reactor is generating electricity.

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Anila Yoganathan is a Knox News investigative reporter. Email: anila.yoganathan@knoxnews.com. Twitter @AnilaYoganathan. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. 

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Five things about TVA's plans for new nuclear reactors