Conceptual design of a submerged power station

Providing safe and sustainable energy to the world's increasing population will be one of the major challenges of the 21st century. At the INEL we are developing the concept of a passively safe submerged power station (SPS), shown. The reactor is located in the forward part of the vessel, while the turbine and generator are mounted in the middle section and the control and crew quarters are located at the opposite end of the vessel. The SPS would be operated in 20 to 100 m of water at a distance of 10 to 30 km from the shore and would generate 600 MWe. Power would be transmitted to shore by AC cables, similar to submarine cables in use today. The SPS would be manufactured in a central shipyard and towed or transported to its operational location. The reactor is designed to operate on a five-year cycle with a capacity factor of 70 percent, after which the station would be returned to a central facility for refueling and maintenance. Thus the SPS has the advantages of centralized fabrication and maintenance