Clinch River site set for first-ever US SMR as NRC begins review

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has become the first U.S. utility to apply for a construction permit for GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GEH) BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) technology. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted TVA’s application to build a 300 MWe BWRX-300 reactor at the Clinch River site in Tennessee, marking a significant milestone as the first utility-led SMR project in the country. The NRC aims to complete its review within 17 months, and TVA may begin preliminary site preparation as early as next year. The Clinch River site already holds an early site permit, confirming its suitability from safety, environmental, and emergency planning perspectives. The BWRX-300 design is a water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety features, based on the licensed ESBWR boiling water reactor, and is the only boiling water SMR under development in the U.S. Its modular