Dow and X-Energy submitted a construction permit application late last month to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a pioneering advanced nuclear project at Dow’s Seadrift Texas manufacturing site.
Once built, it is expected to be the first grid-scale advanced nuclear reactor deployed to serve an industrial site in North America, officials said.
Manufacturing Power
Seadrift Operations is the second largest Dow facility in Texas, according to the company, stretching about 4,700 acres and employing more than 1,200 people.
The Calhoun County, Texas site produces over 4 billion pounds of materials annually according to the company.
It manufactures plastics for applications like wire and cable, containers, and automotive parts; glycols for antifreeze, and polyester fabrics; and oxide derivatives for health and beauty products, detergents, cleaners, brake fluids, and paint.
Artist rendering of the Generating Station project planned by Dow subsidiary Long Mott Energy, LLC (LME). The Xe-100 power reactor is proposed for construction in Calhoun County, Texas. Image: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Advanced Power
The project, developed by Dow’s subsidiary Long Mott Energy LLC, will use four Xe-100 small modular reactors (SMRs) from X-energy, providing up to 320 MW of electricity and 800 MW of thermal energy to the facility.
The advanced reactors are designed to replace aging fossil-fuel-based power and steam systems. Dow said around 500,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions would be eliminated annually by shifting to nuclear power.
The Xe-100 is a Generation IV high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) that uses TRISO fuel and passive safety features, aiming for a safety profile that exceeds NRC requirements, according to Dow.
'Electrification' Driven by Demand
The NRC permit review could take up to 30 months, the company said. If approved and Dow confirms the project, construction could start later this decade, with operations potentially beginning in the early 2030s.
The initiative conforms to a growing demand for energy. It positions Dow, its wholly owned subsidiary Long Mott Energy, and X-Energy at the forefront of commercializing advanced nuclear technology for industrial applications.
Michael Guckes, Chief Economist at ConstructConnect, said earlier this year in the 2025 Construction Outlook that, " The electrification of the economy will continue to drive significant demand for power generation and power infrastructure projects."
Guckes added, "The growth of artificial intelligence, the increasing adoption of electric vehicles, and the growing reliance on electric appliances and devices will further stimulate the need for electric generation and infrastructure construction in the coming years."
Quest for Cost-effective, Safe, Clean, Reliable Energy
Dow expects the cost of energy from the SMRs to be competitive with other clean energy alternatives. “This is an important next step in expanding access to safe, clean, reliable, cost-competitive nuclear energy in the U.S.,” said Edward Stones, Dow’s vice president of Energy & Climate.
X-Energy was selected by the Department of Energy in 2020 to develop and build the Xe-100 reactor and a TRISO-X fuel fabrication facility, securing over $1 billion in capital to commercialize the technology.
“Together with our world-class partner, Dow, we will demonstrate how the technology deployed at Seadrift, Texas, can be quickly and efficiently replicated to meet incredible power demand growth across America,” added J. Clay Sell, CEO of X-Energy in a statement.
Once completed, the project could serve as a basis for deploying advanced nuclear solutions at industrial sites, furthering efforts to produce sustainable and reliable clean energy.
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