Tennessee Valley Authority submits SMR construction application

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has become the first utility in the US to submit a construction permit application for a small modular reactor (SMR).

In its application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, TVA is applying to build a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 SMR that delivers 300MW of electricity at its Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

TVA says in a statement that it has the best path to deploying a commercial BWRX-300 SMR in the US because it holds the nation’s first and only early site permit for SMRs at the Clinch River site.

“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,” commented Don Moul, TVA President and CEO.

"TVA looks forward to working with the Administration to accelerate advanced nuclear technologies that are key to our nation’s energy security. We believe deploying new nuclear is essential to providing American families and businesses affordable and abundant electricity for decades to come.”

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TVA has been active in the development of the BWRX-300 SMR technology as part of a collaboration, including Ontario Power Generation and Synthos Green Energy entered into in March 2023.

Now, TVA is leading a coalition of industry partners in submitting an application for an $800 million US Department of Energy grant to further accelerate the BWRX-300 development and seeking an $8 million DOE grant to support the NRC license review cost.

The environmental report for the Clinch River site has already been completed and submitted, with the prospect of preliminary SMR site preparation beginning as soon as 2026.

On this timeline construction of the BWRX-300 would be expected to start in late 2028 and the SMR due to come into commercial use by the end of 2032.

The Clinch River site has long been TVA’s preferred site for nuclear development. It was selected originally to site of the Clinch River breeder reactor project in the early 1980s, although this was subsequently terminated.