The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a $400 million grant to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to continue to accelerate deployment of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR). With commercial operation of the first BWRX-300 at the utility’s Clinch River Site targeted for the early 2030s, it would become the nation’s first commercial SMR.
“The BWRX-300 is the only commercial SMR technology being built right now in the Western world, and this grant will accelerate its deployment in the U.S.,” said Scott Strazik, CEO, GE Vernova. “We would like to recognize the DOE for its leadership in support of the nuclear industry and for championing public-private partnerships to advance the next generation of nuclear technology and bolster the nation’s energy security.”
TVA led a coalition of utility and industry partners, including GE Vernova Hitachi, in applying for funding through DOE’s Generation III+ SMR program. The coalition of partners involved in the funding application reflects the industry’s confidence in the BWRX-300 and the role its accelerated deployment through this grant will play in further strengthening the U.S. nuclear supply chain.
In May of this year TVA submitted a construction permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build the first BWRX-300 in the U.S. at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The NRC is currently reviewing the application.
