NRC grants first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor
NRC issues first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued its first construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor to the Tennessee Valley Authority at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The permit, submitted in April 2025, follows the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's 2025 license to Ontario Power Generation and adds to growing North American regulatory momentum for the 300-MW design, which GE Vernova Hitachi says can be deployed as a standardized fleet.
A standard design, combined with a predictable and efficient regulatory environment, allows us to apply common technology, licensing experience, supply chain capabilities and lessons learned from one project to the next.
- CobaltFire
This is a 10th Generation Boiling Water Reactor. Here's some relevant links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BWRX-300
https://www.gevernova.com/nuclear/carbon-free-power/bwrx-300...
Interesting point: no pumps; convection flow for 100% of the operational envelope.
- exabrial
Hell yes!
- idontwantthis
A nuclear power plant is essentially a coal power plant with free fuel.
Today, if you literally built a coal power plant with free fuel it would not be cheaper than solar.
My question: If you built a small modular coal power plant, would that be cheaper than solar? It necessarily has to be cheaper than nuclear.
- preisschild
The BWRX-300 footprint is so large they might as well just build large nuclear power units again and get 3-4x the power
- testing22321
Place your bets now.
Time until first power generated, and actual final total cost.
I’ll go 15 years and $10 Billion.
- PowerElectronix
What a waste of money, manpower and space.