This advanced SMR, known as the Xe-100, incorporates innovative fuel design, passive safety features, and advanced analysis techniques. Since 2018, X-energy has worked closely with the NRC to demonstrate the reactor's safety profile, culminating in a comprehensive application submittal that meets or exceeds NRC standards for public health and safety. Once approved, construction of the reactor could begin within 30 to 48 months, contingent on Dow's ability to deliver the project and meet financial return targets.
Edward Stones, Dow's business vice president for Energy and Climate, praised the progress, stating, "This is a crucial step toward expanding access to safe, clean, and reliable nuclear energy in the US." X-energy CEO Clay Sell emphasized the significance of the project, saying, "We are ready to demonstrate how the Seadrift technology can be quickly replicated to meet North America's growing energy demands."
Dow's Seadrift site covers 4700 acres and employs over 1000 people, manufacturing materials for industries such as food packaging, footwear, and pharmaceuticals. By implementing this project, Dow aims to reduce emissions by approximately 440,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. Additionally, Dow has signed the Large Energy Users Pledge, committed to tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050, alongside other major tech giants and financial institutions.
X-energy was selected by the DOE in 2020 to develop and build an operational Xe-100 SMR and TRISO-X fuel fabrication facility. Since then, X-energy has secured over $1.1 billion in private capital, completed engineering and preliminary design, and begun work on a fuel fabrication facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This project marks a significant milestone in the push for commercializing advanced nuclear technology and aligns with Dow's broader goals of sustainable and reliable energy solutions.
