Federal nuclear regulators issued a construction permit for four small reactors at Dow’s Seadrift Operations site in Calhoun County, Texas, Dow announced Monday. The proposed Long Mott Generating Station would supply electricity and industrial heat to the Gulf Coast chemical plant.
What the permit covers
Dow subsidiary Long Mott Energy is developing the project with reactor designer X-energy. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s application notice says each unit is designed to generate roughly 80 megawatts of electricity and also produce heat for the plant. The project would use high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. World Nuclear News reported that Dow plans to use steam from the units to replace equipment approaching the end of its service life.
A separate decision on operating the reactors
The construction permit allows the project to advance toward building the units. The NRC requires a separate operating license before the reactors can run. X-energy said the companies will continue work on the design, procurement and preparation of an operating-license application. It identified Dow’s investment decisions, financing and other regulatory approvals as factors that could affect the schedule.
Rep. Michael Cloud, whose district includes Calhoun County, welcomed the permit and said the project could support Gulf Coast manufacturing jobs. The approval concerns a specific project under existing nuclear licensing rules. In Washington, the Senate is separately considering a broader bill to speed federal energy and infrastructure permits.