Duke Energy has partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority and GE Vernova Hitachi to accelerate the development of small modular nuclear reactors.
The collaboration is part of a $400 million cost-share project with the U.S. Department of Energy.
The agreement aims to fast-track the deployment of GE Vernova Hitachi’s BWRX-300, a 300-megawatt small modular reactor designed to provide carbon-free electricity.
The reactor’s modular design is intended to lower construction and operating costs compared with traditional large-scale nuclear plants.
Duke Energy said the partnership is central to its strategy of adding reliable, carbon-free energy.
The company plans to submit an early site permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end of the year for potential reactor deployment at its Belews Creek site in North Carolina.
The Energy Department’s funding will support planning for the BWRX-300 at TVA’s Clinch River site in Tennessee. The agency said commercial operation there is expected in the early 2030s.
Small modular reactors are seen by the nuclear industry and the Biden administration as a key component of the transition to cleaner energy.
