NuScale Power has fabricated the first boron-oxide pellets designed for the passive emergency cooling system of its small modular reactor. ^[1] NuScale says its SMR design is the first and only one to have received design certification from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ^[2] NuScale's reactor technology is based on the NuScale Power Module, a pressurized water reactor designed to generate 77 megawatts of electricity per module. ^[3] The pellets were produced with advanced nuclear materials manufacturer MillenniTEK as NuScale works to move its reactor technology closer to commercial deployment. ^[4] According to the companies, the boron-oxide pellets dissolve automatically in the reactor coolant when the passive safety system activates, maintaining core reactivity within safe limits and dissipating decay heat without manual operator intervention. ^[5] John Hopkins, chief executive officer of NuScale Power Corporation, said the tangible advance demonstrates that NuScale's technology is prepared for near-term deployment. ^[6]