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NRC Issues Construction Permit for X-energy's Texas SMR Project, Raising Safety Concerns

NRC Issues Construction Permit for X-energy's Texas SMR Project, Raising Safety Concerns

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted a construction permit to X-energy for its four small modular reactor (SMR) project in Texas. This marks the first time in over 50 years that a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor has received such a permit, and it is the third advanced reactor permit issued by the NRC this year. The project, planned for Seadrift, Texas, will power Dow’s UCC Seadrift Operation manufacturing facility, which currently relies on natural gas. X-energy aims to have the first of its Xe-100 SMR reactors online by the early 2030s. The construction permit application, filed by Dow’s subsidiary Long Mott Energy in March 2025, received a streamlined licensing review. However, Edwin Lyman, Director of Nuclear Power Safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, has criticized the decision as a 'reckless approval,' citing concerns about the reactor design's lack of a physical containment structure and unproven safety functions.
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Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issues First High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Construction Permit in Nearly 60 Years

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issues First High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Construction Permit in Nearly 60 Years

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a construction permit for the Long Mott Generating Station in Calhoun County, Texas. This marks the first construction permit for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor in nearly 60 years and is the third advanced reactor construction permit issued by the NRC this year. Long Mott Energy plans to build a four-reactor facility, featuring four X-energy Xe-100 reactors. The primary purpose of this facility will be to generate high-temperature steam for industrial use at the Dow Seadrift Operations site, with excess electricity being exported to the grid. This permit represents several regulatory firsts for the NRC, including its first approval of a multimodule advanced reactor facility, a reactor with a pebble-bed core, a design with online nuclear refueling, and a review of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor under the agency’s risk-informed, technology-inclusive Licensing Modernization Project framework. NRC staff completed the safety evaluation ahead of sc...
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X-energy Reports Strong Q3 2026 Results, Advances Advanced Nuclear Reactor and Fuel Technology

X-energy Reports Strong Q3 2026 Results, Advances Advanced Nuclear Reactor and Fuel Technology

X-energy Reports Strong Q3 2026 Results, Advances Advanced Nuclear Reactor and Fuel Technology
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NRC Accelerates Advanced Nuclear Reactor Approvals, Issuing First Construction Permit for Industrial Site in Decades

NRC Accelerates Advanced Nuclear Reactor Approvals, Issuing First Construction Permit for Industrial Site in Decades

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has significantly accelerated its approval process for advanced nuclear reactors, marking a major shift in the U.S. nuclear energy industry. In a compressed timeframe, three advanced reactor developers received crucial regulatory clearances. Most notably, X-Energy and Dow secured the first construction permit ever issued by the NRC for an advanced nuclear plant located at an operating industrial facility. This permit allows for the construction of four Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactors at Dow’s Seadrift site in Texas. Each unit is designed to produce 80 megawatts electric and 200 megawatts thermal, intended to supply both electricity and high-temperature process steam to Dow’s chemical complex. This approval is significant as it is the first construction permit for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor in nearly six decades, the first for a pebble-bed design, and the first for an advanced reactor co-located with active industrial operations. The review proc...
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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issues Landmark Construction Permit for Dow Chemical's Texas SMR Plant

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issues Landmark Construction Permit for Dow Chemical's Texas SMR Plant

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issues Landmark Construction Permit for Dow Chemical's Texas SMR Plant
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Oklo's Groves-1 Test Reactor Receives Full DOE Clearance for Unrestricted Operations, Advancing Nuclear Research and Training

Oklo's Groves-1 Test Reactor Receives Full DOE Clearance for Unrestricted Operations, Advancing Nuclear Research and Training

Oklo Inc. has received full operational clearance from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for its Groves Isotope Test Reactor, known as Groves-1, located in Texas. This approval allows the advanced nuclear company to begin unrestricted research, equipment testing, and staff training at the facility. Groves-1 achieved first criticality in August 2026 under the DOE's Reactor Pilot Program, marking it as the first project under this federal program to reach this milestone on private land and demonstrating the ability to bring a nuclear project from groundbreaking to operational readiness in less than a year. The reactor will now serve as a working laboratory to evaluate technologies and operating procedures for future isotope reactors and Oklo's Aurora fast fission powerhouses.
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U.S. Small Modular Reactor Development Advances with Diverse Designs and Federal Incentives

U.S. Small Modular Reactor Development Advances with Diverse Designs and Federal Incentives

U.S. Small Modular Reactor Development Advances with Diverse Designs and Federal Incentives
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CINIE 2026 to Host Record-Breaking Nuclear Energy Expo in Shenzhen

CINIE 2026 to Host Record-Breaking Nuclear Energy Expo in Shenzhen

CINIE 2026 to Host Record-Breaking Nuclear Energy Expo in Shenzhen
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X-energy and Dow Receive NRC Construction Permit for Four Xe-100 SMRs in Texas

X-energy and Dow Receive NRC Construction Permit for Four Xe-100 SMRs in Texas

X-energy and Dow Receive NRC Construction Permit for Four Xe-100 SMRs in Texas
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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves Construction Permit for X-energy's Small Modular Reactors at Dow Site

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves Construction Permit for X-energy's Small Modular Reactors at Dow Site

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves Construction Permit for X-energy's Small Modular Reactors at Dow Site
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U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves First Advanced Nuclear Reactor Construction at Industrial Site

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Approves First Advanced Nuclear Reactor Construction at Industrial Site

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved the construction of four Xe-100 advanced nuclear reactors by X-energy at a Texas industrial site owned by Dow Chemical. This marks the first time an advanced nuclear reactor has been approved for construction at an industrial site in the United States. The reactors, part of the Long Mott Generating Station, are designed to generate 80 megawatts of electricity and 200 megawatts of heat each, utilizing helium as a coolant to operate safely at higher temperatures. The approval process for this joint application by X-energy and Dow Chemical was completed in less than 18 months, a record pace for contested hearings, reflecting efforts to streamline U.S. nuclear regulation. The Xe-100 is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that uses advanced TRISO-X coated particle fuel, providing a safety profile that allows for a significantly smaller emergency planning zone compared to conventional light-water reactors. While the construction permit has been issued, ...
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Oklo Inc. Receives DOE Clearance for Groves Isotope Test Reactor, Advancing Research and Training Phases

Oklo Inc. Receives DOE Clearance for Groves Isotope Test Reactor, Advancing Research and Training Phases

Oklo Inc. Receives DOE Clearance for Groves Isotope Test Reactor, Advancing Research and Training Phases