The energy landscape is evolving rapidly, and one company looking to disrupt the status quo and redefine the future of nuclear power is NuScale Power (SMR -1.54%). NuScale is the only small modular reactor (SMR) developer to receive a Standard Design Approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
On Sept. 1, NuScale achieved a major engineering breakthrough. In collaboration with MilleniTEK, it successfully fabricated specialized boron-oxide pellets, a critical component of NuScale's cutting-edge passive emergency cooling system.
This engineering triumph is a major step toward making safe, meltdown-proof modular nuclear power a reality. It also helps NuScale move closer to commercial deployment. But does this make NuScale Power stock a buy? Let's dive into the details and what it means for the stock.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
NuScale recently made an engineering breakthrough for its SMRs
In traditional nuclear reactors, reactivity control during nonstandard events often relies on active mechanical insertion of control rods or on powered chemical injection pumps. NuScale's 77 MWe Small Modular Reactor (SMR) design relies on passive safety mechanisms.
NuScale's Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) uses pellets that automatically dissolve in the reactor coolant to control core reactivity at safe levels without operator intervention. This is why the boron-oxide breakthrough matters. By fabricating these pellets with MilleniTEK, the pellets move beyond an idea on paper and one step closer to mass production and commercial deployment.
Nuclear projects have a history of delays and cost overruns, in some cases because teams try to work out engineering and component challenges on-site. NuScale's own Carbon Free Power Project with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems ended in 2023 due to escalating costs. NuScale lost tens of millions in the process.
Producing these boron-oxide pellets shows that these crucial safety components can be manufactured before construction begins, shortening the supply process up front rather than during construction. NuScale has secured master service agreements with over 60 specialized suppliers, which should help prevent site-level bottlenecks.
NuScale's business is still in the very early innings
With that said, NuScale still has major hurdles to clear before reaching operational deployment. The company currently has one project, the RoPower Doicești Project in Romania. There, it plans to deploy up to six NuScale Power Modules, with the first projected to come online in 2033.
Beyond this, NuScale is looking to secure more firm agreements. It's working with ENTRA1 Energy, which will develop, finance, and own ENTRA1 Energy Plants, powered by NuScale SMRs.
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ENTRA1 could be crucial in helping NuScale secure a huge agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Last year, the parties entered a collaborative agreement to explore deploying up to 6 GW (about 72) of NuScale's SMRs.
No firm commitment has been made, but NuScale's management hopes to close a deal by year-end. If it does, it could be a massive catalyst for NuScale's beaten-down stock.
Is NuScale Power a buy?
NuScale's SMRs could change the way nuclear energy is deployed and solve a massive power bottleneck in the coming decades. That said, the company is still in its very early stages, securing deals and building out its supply chains. Its SMRs won't be operational until the 2030s, making NuScale a high-risk stock best left to aggressive long-term investors looking to capture a slice of next-generation nuclear technology.
