NuScale Power and Ebara Elliott Energy Partner to Advance SMR Process-Heat Technology

NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR) and Ebara Elliott Energy (EEE) announced a collaborative research program to demonstrate and field-test a commercial-scale high-temperature steam compressor to integrate NuScale Power Modules™ (NPMs) with petrochemical plants needing process heat. The two companies describe the effort as a first for the industry, combining NuScale's SMR technology with EEE's decades of expertise in steam turbines, compressors, and rotating equipment to deliver clean, proven, and efficient nuclear power solutions for petrochemical plants.

The technical ambition behind the program rests on a capability that light water reactor skeptics long dismissed. NPMs are designed to produce reliable process steam for industrial applications at 500°C or higher, a temperature previously considered beyond the reach of light water reactors, with steam produced by the NPM isolated from outside facilities via an intermediate heat exchanger and subsequently raised to high temperature through adiabatic compression.

Under the program, EEE and NuScale will collaborate to support the development, manufacturing, and integration of critical turbomachinery and energy-conversion systems for petrochemical plants powered by NuScale technology. EEE's compressors, turbines, and pumps are based on proven technology, relying on more than 100 years of operational experience and thousands of units operating around the globe in chemical facilities 24/7. NuScale's technology, powered by its innovative NPM, is the first and only SMR to have received U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission design approval.

The compressor is not a far-off concept. The project is already in progress, with the compressor targeted for completion in 2027, and the partners are currently seeking candidates for the next phase: field testing.

Ron Josefczyk, Vice President of New Apparatus at Ebara Elliott Energy, framed the collaboration in concrete industrial terms. "This partnership leverages our century of engineering excellence to accelerate the deployment of NuScale's innovative clean energy technology," said Josefczyk. "By combining our specialized design and manufacturing capabilities with NuScale's SMR design, we are creating a reliable, low-carbon power solution specifically optimized for the rigorous demands of the global petrochemical industry."

Dr. José Reyes, Chief Technology Officer at NuScale Power, described the SMR application as a transformative opportunity for the petrochemical industry, emphasizing that the partnership with EEE not only enhances NuScale's supply chain capabilities but also aligns with its broader objective of delivering safe, scalable, and carbon-free energy solutions.

NuScale and Ebara Elliott Energy gathered in Houston to share the progress of this collaboration at the World Petrochemical Conference, where Dr. Reyes delivered a presentation titled "Reframing Nuclear Heat: From Future Concept to Commercial Reality" on March 24. EEE and NuScale also welcomed conference attendees to their booth in the foyer of the Marriott Marquis Houston.

As the first and only SMR to have its designs certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NuScale is positioned to serve diverse customers across the world by supplying nuclear energy for electrical generation, data centers, district heating, desalination, commercial-scale hydrogen production, and other process heat applications. The EEE partnership adds petrochemical decarbonization to that list, and with the compressor build already underway and field-test site selection now open, the timeline from concept to operating demonstration is becoming tangible.