TVA files for Clinch River SMR construction permit
The Tennessee Valley Authority announced yesterday that it has submitted a construction permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the construction of a GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Clinch River nuclear site in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
With this filing, TVA has become the first U.S. company to apply for a construction permit for the BWRX-300 and the second in North America, following Ontario Power Generation’s application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for the Darlington site in Ontario, Canada.
Quotable: “This is a significant milestone for TVA, our region, and our nation, because we are accelerating the development of new nuclear technology, its supply chain, and delivery model to unleash American energy,” said Don Moul, TVA president and CEO. “TVA has put in the work to advance the design and develop the first application for the BWRX-300 technology, creating a path for other utilities who choose to build the same technology.”
Potential acceleration: The NRC held two public outreach meetings in Oak Ridge on May 6 to talk about the agency’s application review process and intentions to increase efficiency without decreasing safety and security. According to the Oak Ridger, Michelle Sampson, director of the Division of New and Renewed Licenses in NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, said at one of the meetings, “The time frame we mentioned today for the construction permit review for the proposed TVA reactor; approximately two-and-a-half years, is faster than some of our historic reviews. We are looking for ways to focus our review teams to ensure they can complete their work as effectively as possible.”
Background: Last month, senior vice president for the Clinch River project Bob Deacy described his vision for the 935-acre site, with up to four SMRs built on plots smaller than a football field with state-of-the-art digital equipment and a newly trained workforce providing reliable 24/7 power to the grid. “You will see in this relatively small space the potential for something significant for our nation’s energy future—affordable and reliable nuclear power,” Deacy said.
TVA obtained an early site permit from the NRC for the Clinch River SMR project in 2019. The company had announced in 2022 its choice of the BWRX-300 SMR.
The GE Hitachi unit is a 300-MWe unit designed with built-in natural circulation and passive cooling technology and an expected lifespan of 60 years.
Funding: TVA has designated a total of $350 million so far toward the Clinch River SMR project, including an initial $200 million approved by its board in February 2022 and another $150 million in April 2024 to support continued design and development work.
TVA is one of three lead applicants for the Department of Energy’s $900 million grant program first announced last October and reissued on March 24 to help de-risk the deployment of Gen-III+ light water SMRs.
In its initial application, TVA said the grant funding would help accelerate SMR construction at Clinch River by two years, with commercial operation of the units possible by 2033.
“If we receive the DOE funding, we'd be able to roll into site-specific engineering,” Deacy said. “It may also allow us to procure some long-lead items and do grading of the site itself. We’re working with DOE to help offset the cost so we don’t burden our customers with first-of-a-kind costs, because this is a first-of-a-kind plant, even though it's based on proven technology.”
