NRC dockets TVA’s Clinch River construction application

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted for review the Tennessee Valley Authority's construction permit application for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor at its Clinch River site in Tennessee. The NRC expects to complete its review by December 2026.

In a letter to TVA dated July 9, the NRC said its goal is "to conduct an efficient, high-quality safety review applying available insights associated with the agency's risk-informed decision-making principles during its review of the [construction permit] application."

The NRC said a number of things could affect its timeline for completing the permit review, including such things as "the timeframe for resolution of complex technical issues, unanticipated changes to the scope of the review or design changes."

Background: In 2019, TVA received an early site permit to build two or more SMRs at the 935-acre Clinch River nuclear site, near the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Nuclear Reservation. TVA's technology of choice is GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's BWRX-300, a 300-MWe unit designed with built-in natural circulation and passive cooling technology and an expected lifespan of 60 years.

In May, TVA became the first U.S. company to apply for a construction permit for the BWRX-300 and the second in North America, following Ontario Power Generation's application to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for the Darlington site in Ontario, Canada.

At the time, Don Moul, TVA president and CEO, said, "TVA looks forward to working with the administration to accelerate advanced nuclear technologies that are key to our nation's energy security."

Next steps: Notice of the NRC's docketing of the Clinch River construction permit application will be published in the Federal Register in the coming days, after which the NRC will provide an opportunity to request a hearing or petition to intervene in the application process.