Optimal site selection for modular nuclear power plants.

• A brief overview of small modular NPPs and its feasibility for Singapore. • MINLP model for optimal site selection of modular NPPs in a region. • A case study on JPark Simulator, a virtual environment for the EIP in Jurong island, Singapore. • The model can serve as a preliminary feasibility analysis tool for SMR site selection. Small Modular Reactor (SMR) is a small, compact version of a conventional Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and holds much promise for the future. Installing SMRs in a region requires a series of carefully planned steps out of which site selection is a critical one. This paper proposes a novel mathematical model for evaluating potential land sites for their suitability of hosting a modular NPP. Most existing decision making tools for NPP site selection rely on qualitative information from the experts. These tools require significant resources and therefore can only be applied to a limited number of selected sites. The proposed model is a Mixed Integer Non-linear Programming (MINLP) formulation which considers a variety of factors like cost, cooling water availability, earthquake risk, etc. to identify best locations for the SMRs in a distributed power system. A case study based on a virtual EIP simulator is conducted to demonstrate the capabilities of the model by finding the optimal locations of modular NPPs. The model offers a preliminary platform for carrying out further extensive studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]