Areva and Babcock & Wilcox are years into development of next generation reactors

Areva and Babcock & Wilcox are years into development of next generation reactors: http://www2.newsadvance.com/business/2012/jul/15/areva-bw-are-years-development-next-generation-rea-ar-2056280/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter too bad Canada is not in the mix..."Both Areva and Babcock & Wilcox are years into the development of the next-generation nuclear power plants, hoping to add to the crop of new reactors being built in the United States.
Lynchburg’s two nuclear-industry companies — which employ about 4,400 area residents — are vying for a Department of Energy public-private partnership to develop small modular reactors, or SMR.
Babcock & Wilcox is testing the design of its mPower reactor and Areva is partnering with Holtec International and The Shaw Group Inc. to work on the SMR-160.
Two companies will be awarded DOE grants estimated at $452 million over five years.
The SMR-160’s name is an apt descriptor of what it is: a small modular reactor capable of generating 160 megawatts of electricity. Holtec is the lead in the project, Shaw’s expertise comes from building two reactors currently under construction in the U.S. and Areva was brought in for its technology expertise, according to a Holtec news release.
The SMR-160 can be put on as little as five acres and, like other SMR designs, there is no limit to the number that can be installed at a site."