Energy Northwest and X-Energy Reactor Company, a developer of advanced small modular nuclear reactors and fuel technology, have signed a joint development agreement for 12 Xe-100 small modular reactors capable of generating up to a total of 960 MW of carbon-free electricity in central Washington, with the first Xe-100 module to be made available by 2030.
Each module can provide 80 MW of full-time electricity or 200 MW of high-temperature steam. X-energy’s modular design is road-shippable and intended to drive scalability, accelerate construction timelines and create more predictable and manageable construction costs.
Through its high-temperature steam output, the Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology can power many applications, thus addressing the needs of regional electricity providers and industrial manufacturing systems. Under the agreement, the companies will decide the best methods for licensing and regulatory matters, with the project delivery model.
“As the Northwest region of the United States pursues a future clean energy grid, it is clear it will need new sources of dependable, carbon-free power,” said Bob Schuetz, CEO of Energy Northwest. X-energy’s Xe-100 advanced reactor technology possesses many attributes ideally suited to a carbon-constrained electric system.”
The project is expected to be developed at Energy Northwest’s site nearby its Columbia Generating Station in Richland. As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), Dow has selected its UCC Seadrift Operations manufacturing site on the Texas Gulf Coast for X-energy’s first deployment of the Xe-100. Under the ARDP, X-energy received $1.2 billion to develop, license, build and demonstrate an operational advanced reactor and fuel fabrication facility by the end of 2030.
“The advancement of our partnership is expected to help meet growing commercial and household demand for reliable carbon-free energy across the state of Washington,” said J. Clay Sell, CEO of X-energy. “X-energy is eager to bring the insights and learnings from our ARDP experience to successfully deliver an Xe-100 nuclear power plant in central Washington.”
