Holtec applies in the US for construction permits for two of its modular reactors

The project to build two modular reactors at the US Palisades power plant has reached another milestone. The plant’s owner has submitted another set of documents to the US nuclear regulator, completing the second phase of the construction permit application process. The two Pioneer 1 and 2 reactors (SMR-300) will add a further 680 MW of installed capacity to the plant. The process of restarting the plant’s 805 MW reactor, which was shut down 4 years ago, is now nearing completion.

US company Holtec International announced that it had submitted a safety analysis report for two new Pioneer modular reactors at the Palisades plant to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This completes the second phase of the licensing process for construction of the new units. In earlier steps, the nuclear regulator received an application for permission to begin preparatory work, as well as an environmental impact report. The company expects a decision on the first phase this December.

"This step, the most significant progress to date in establishing the regulatory framework for the Pioneer units, followed a series of consultation meetings with the NRC and intensive, thorough technical cooperation with the agency’s staff," Holtec said in a press release.

The Pioneer (SMR-300) pressurized water modular reactors have a thermal capacity of 1050 MW and an electrical capacity of 340 MW. The new nuclear reactors at Palisades are expected to enter service in the early 2030s.

"We are grateful to the US Department of Energy for its generous and timely support of the Pioneer program, which has helped accelerate the entire project. We also appreciate the NRC’s risk-informed regulatory approach, its critically constructive engagement and the responsiveness of its staff; all of this has contributed to the rapid progress we are reporting here," Holtec said in a press release.

Holtec has been working on the design of a small modular reactor since 2011. After 15 years, the company plans to complete research and development, testing and regulatory approval, and build its first compact modular reactor.

First restart of a conventional nuclear unit in the US

A conventional pressurized water reactor with an installed capacity of 805 MWe generated electricity at the US Palisades nuclear power plant from 1971 to 2022. Holtec is working hard to restart it later this year.

The nuclear unit will become the first US reactor to be restarted after being shut down and having all its fuel removed.