The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced May 20 that it is the first utility in the U.S. to submit a construction permit application (CPA) for the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) small modular reactor (SMR) BWRX-300 technology to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – the agency that issues licenses for constructing, operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants. The permit is the next step for TVA to build an SMR at its Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
SMRs are advanced reactors with a smaller and more modular design than the nuclear technology that powers many U.S. states today. TVA is pursuing the BWRX-300 technology which will have a smaller footprint, making it easier to operate and fit better into the landscape.
The NRC has already said the Clinch River site is suitable for a new nuclear plant, with enough room for a total of four small reactors. If the NRC and the TVA board approve the plans to build the first reactor there, it could begin operating around 2032.
TVA President and CEO Don Moul said that by going first, they can show other utilities a way to accelerate the development of small nuclear reactors.
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