X-Energy and chemical-maker Dow have applied for a federal permit to use small modular reactors to power a chemical plant in Seadrift, Texas, which could be the first of its kind at an industrial site in North America.
The sprawling 4,700-acre manufacturing site along the Gulf Coast is expected to host the Xe-100, a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor developed by X-energy.
“This is an important next step in expanding access to safe, clean, reliable, cost-competitive nuclear energy in the U.S.,” said Edward Stones, Dow’s business vice president for energy and climate. Dow expects the nuclear-generated power and steam will help decarbonize its operations by eliminating most of the site’s direct greenhouse gas emissions.
X-energy’s construction permit could take up to 30 months for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review, the company said on Monday.
