NRC approves construction permit for four X-energy reactors at Texas Dow plant

The short version

• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a construction permit for four X-energy Xe-100 reactors at a Dow chemical plant in Texas.[TechCrunch]
• Each reactor is designed to produce 80 megawatts of electricity and 200 megawatts of heat, and X-energy says it is the first such approval at a U.S. industrial site.[TechCrunch]
• X-energy says no small modular reactor operates in the U.S. yet and the Dow units will not run until the early 2030s.[TechCrunch]
• The Union of Concerned Scientists questions X-energy's safety claims and the speed with which the permit was granted.[TechCrunch]

Key facts

• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a construction permit for four of X-energy's Xe-100 reactors at a Dow chemical plant in Texas.[TechCrunch]
• Each planned reactor is designed to generate 80 megawatts of electricity and 200 megawatts of heat.[TechCrunch]
• X-energy says the approval is the first for an advanced nuclear reactor at an industrial site in the United States.[TechCrunch]
• No small modular reactor is currently operating in the U.S., and X-energy says the Dow reactors will not be operational until the early 2030s.[TechCrunch]
• The Union of Concerned Scientists questioned X-energy's safety claims and the speed with which the permit was received.[TechCrunch]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• X-energy gets green light to build its first small modular nuclear reactorsTechCrunch