X-energy Xe-100 reactor completes US safety review

X-energy has announced that its Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor has completed a safety review by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This milestone moves the project closer to obtaining a construction permit for the Long Mott Generating Station in Texas.

The proposed facility, a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company, aims to deploy four Xe-100 reactors capable of generating 320 MWe. If completed, it would be the first grid-scale advanced nuclear reactor located within an industrial facility in US history, providing electricity and process steam for Dow’s Seadrift Operations while exporting excess power to the grid.

The NRC’s Final Safety Evaluation Report concluded that the plant design and site provide a sufficient safety basis for construction. Following the completion of an environmental review in May, the project is now entering the final stages of the construction permit review process. The Xe-100 design utilizes TRISO-X fuel and passive safety features, which allow for a significantly smaller emergency planning zone compared to traditional light-water reactors.