First Advanced Nuclear Plant at a U.S. Industrial Site Approved for Construction in Texas: Four Reactors, Up to 320 Megawatts
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on November 9 approved a construction permit for Dow and X-energy's proposed Long Mott Generating Station at Dow's Seadrift Operations site in Texas, the U.S. Department of Energy announced on November 13. It is the first advanced nuclear facility authorized for construction at a U.S. industrial site.
The approval marks three firsts: the first advanced nuclear facility authorized for construction at a U.S. industrial site, the first NRC construction permit for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor in more than 50 years, and the first-ever NRC approval for a pebble-bed core design. The project is supported by the Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, which aims to accelerate commercial deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies in the United States.
The proposed station would deploy four X-energy Xe-100 small modular reactors to provide reliable electricity and high-temperature steam to Dow's Seadrift manufacturing operations. Each Xe-100 is designed to produce 80 megawatts of electricity or 200 megawatts of thermal energy; together, the four reactors could provide up to 320 megawatts of electricity while supporting the site's industrial steam needs for 60 years.
The Xe-100 is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that uses TRISO coated particle fuel made with high-assay, low-enriched uranium, designed to retain radioactive materials under extreme conditions beyond any credible accident scenario. TRISO-X, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-energy, completed vertical construction in September on its TX-1 fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which will produce fuel pebbles for the Xe-100.
"This milestone marks a significant step forward for the Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and our efforts to bring next-generation nuclear technologies to market," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Mike Goff, adding that advanced reactors can deliver reliable power and industrial heat and strengthen American energy leadership.
The construction permit allows X-energy and Dow to advance the project toward construction readiness, including finalizing the Xe-100 design, strengthening the supply chain for long-lead components, and preparing an operating license application for NRC review. The project is targeting initial energy delivery in the early 2030s. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy)
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Dow 位于德州 Seadrift 厂区的 Long Mott 发电站效果图，厂区内将建四台 Xe-100 小型模块化反应堆。X-energy 提供，美国能源部发布，本图已裁为 16:9。 / Photo: Rendering of the Long Mott Generating Station at Dow's Seadrift site in Texas, with four Xe-100 small modular reactors. Courtesy of X-energy, released by the U.S. Department of Energy, cropped to 16:9.
