X-energy gets green light for four nuclear reactors
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TechCrunch
X-energy has received US federal authorisation to build four Xe-100 nuclear reactors at a Dow industrial site in Texas. Each reactor is to produce 80 megawatts of electricity and 200 megawatts of heat, with commissioning planned for the early 2030s, according to TechCrunch.
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved on Monday the construction permit for four X-energy Xe-100 reactors at a Dow industrial site in Texas. Each reactor is to produce 80 megawatts of electricity and 200 megawatts of heat, according to TechCrunch.
X-energy describes the authorisation as the first granted in the United States for an advanced nuclear reactor installed at an industrial site. The four reactors are not expected to enter service before the early 2030s, while no small modular reactor (SMR) is currently in operation in the United States, TechCrunch reports.
The Union of Concerned Scientists disputes the safety assurances put forward by X-energy and criticises the timetable for issuing the permit. Edwin Lyman, the organisation’s director of nuclear safety, believes that some safety issues should have been resolved before authorisation to build was granted.
The project comes amid strong demand for electricity from data centre operators. Amazon led a $500 million funding round for X-energy and has committed to purchasing 5 gigawatts of capacity. The company had raised $1 billion when it went public in April, but its shares have since traded at less than half their listing price, according to TechCrunch.
