US firm's advanced reactor to supply hydrogen, electricity for 400,000 homes

US-based NuScale Power Corporation is developing an integrated energy system based on its small modular reactor (SMR) technology that aims to simultaneously generate carbon-free electricity, produce clean hydrogen, and provide desalinated water. A single NuScale Power Module (NPM) is projected to supply enough clean water for 2.3 million people daily (about 150 million gallons) and generate surplus electricity to power 400,000 homes. This approach expands the application of SMRs beyond electricity generation to address critical industrial and environmental challenges such as water scarcity and clean energy production. A key innovation in NuScale’s system is the utilization of brine, the saline byproduct of desalination, as a feedstock for clean hydrogen production. In partnership with the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, NuScale has developed a carbon-free hydrogen production process that uses inert salts from brine, avoiding conventional electrolysis and reducing energy and water consumption. The company has also created an Integrated Energy System simulator to optimize hydrogen