The DBI reactor design is modular and scalable. Each self-sufficient reactor will be small- 25 MWe to 50 MWe, “factory assembled”. Modules can be up and running in as little as 12 to 18 months. Individual reactors can be linked together to create a 1 Gigawatt (i.e. 20 50 MWe DBI modules) or larger facility. The modular DBI reactor design is practical for both small and large applications.
This modular approach offers a quick installation time and quick commencement of revenue-generating operations (of one or more modules per year versus 5 to 10 years for current Gigawatt designs) and at a fraction of the capital carrying costs of traditional nuclear reactors (tens of millions of dollars for a DBI design versus billions of dollars for current Gigawatt size facilities).
The DBI reactor design is vastly smaller than conventional nuclear reactors, modular, factory assembled and simple enough to maintain a short construction cycle.
The factory assembled modular approach allows additional modules to be added as demand grows. For example, a 50 MWe module can be installed and commence operations at a rate of one or more modules per year. As demand increases, more modules can be added at the same site, creating a large-scale plant. Twenty-two such modules produce the equivalent of a 1100 MWe conventional nuclear station, and can be built all at once in a single large project, or can be built incrementally, a few at a time over many years. When built incrementally, the modules offer mass production economy benefits while significantly reducing the so-called “over night” capital costs including interest-carrying costs per kW of electricity generated.
