12 March 2010-- The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded grants to three companies for conceptual design and planning for its Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). The design is to be a small advanced high-temperature gas-cooled reactor usable for electricity or hydrogen production.

General Atomics, Areva and Westinghouse partnered with South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Ltd. (PBMR) were each awarded a contract for preconceptual design of the plant. A $2 billion pilot plant demonstrating technical feasibility is expected by 2021 at Idaho National Laboratory but with international collaboration.

DOE previously awarded $40 million to two teams for conceptual designs in six months: Westinghouse with PBMR, Shaw, Toshiba, Doosan and others; and General Atomics with General Dynamics, URS Washington, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, and Fuji.

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