The Tennessee Valley Authority on 20 May became the first utility in the USA to submit a construction permit application to the NRC for the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) small modular reactor BWRX-300 technology. The NRC, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is the agency that issues licences for constructing, operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants. This is TVA’s next step in pursuing installation of an SMR at its Clinch River Site, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
TVA is pursuing the BWRX-300 technology, with the potential benefits of enhancing safety, because they believe them to be easier to replicate and more efficient. Their smaller footprint means they can possibly be built more quickly, are easier to operate and a better fit into the landscape owing to their compact size. In 2023, TVA joined a global collaboration to speed up the design and development of the BWRX-300 technology. Now, it is leading a strong coalition of industry partners in submitting an application for an $800 million US Dept of Energy grant to accelerate BWRX-300 development and seeking an $8 million DOE grant to support the NRC license review cost. TVA has already completed the Environmental Report for the Clinch River site and submitted it to the NRC. Preliminary SMR site preparation could begin as soon as 2026.
