Dow, X-energy Proposed SMR Project Receives Historic Construction Permit for Nuclear-Powered Industrial Site

X-Energy, building energy solutions that empower the unprecedented led by Dr. Kam Ghaffarian, J. Clay Sell, and the team, and Dow (NYSE: DOW), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Long Mott Energy, LLC (“Dow”), announced that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) has approved the Construction Permit Application (“CPA”) for the proposed construction of four Xe-100 advanced small modular reactors at Dow’s UCC Seadrift Operations site in Texas. 

The CPA approval marks a major milestone, making Long Mott Generating Station the first advanced nuclear facility approved for an industrial site in the United States under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP).

The construction permit allows X-energy and Dow to advance the project toward construction readiness by finalizing the Xe-100 reactor design, strengthening supply chains for key components and materials, and preparing an Operating License application for the NRC. The approach aims to reduce construction costs and schedule risks before major capital investment, supporting the project's target of first delivery in the early 2030s.

The approval marks the NRC’s first permit for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor in nearly 60 years and the first for an industrial nuclear deployment. The four Xe-100 reactors planned for Dow’s Seadrift facility will supply electricity and high-temperature steam, replacing aging infrastructure and providing clean power for an expected 60 years.

The NRC completed its safety and environmental reviews on schedule, assessing the Xe-100 design against established nuclear safety standards. The review was supported by the reactor's intrinsic safety features, extensive pre-application engagement, decades of DOE research into HTGRs and TRISO fuel, and the 2024 ADVANCE Act. The approval also establishes a foundation for more efficient licensing of future Xe-100 projects by applying lessons from the Long Mott review.

X-energy’s Xe-100 is an 80 MWe/200 MWt high-temperature gas-cooled reactor designed around passive safety features and advanced TRISO-X fuel. Each fuel particle contains multiple barriers to radionuclide release, leading the U.S. Department of Energy to describe TRISO as “the most robust nuclear fuel on earth.” This safety design is expected to support a 400-meter emergency planning zone, compared with 10 miles for conventional light-water reactors, potentially allowing nuclear generation to be located closer to where power is needed.

X-energy and Dow’s extensive pre-application engagement with the NRC, beginning in 2018 and 2023 respectively, helped streamline the Xe-100 review. The companies will maintain this rigor through the next phase to reduce construction risks. Dow is expected to consider a preliminary investment decision in 2027, with full-scale construction following final approval.

J. Clay Sell, CEO of X-energy said, “This is an important day. Getting the construction permit earlier than expected is reflective of the thorough and efficient work of the NRC, the reforms that have been put in place by the Congress over the last six years, and the phenomenal work of the X-energy and Dow teams.  This milestone is further validation of the XE regulatory approach that can be replicated across our growing commercial pipeline, giving our customers greater confidence in the regulatory process and a clearer path to deployment.”

“This is another important milestone for the proposed Long Mott Generating Station project and a testament to the thoughtful, thorough and efficient review conducted by the NRC,” said Edward Stones, Business Vice President, Energy & Climate at Dow. “We appreciate the NRC’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety while advancing a clear and predictable regulatory process for advanced nuclear technologies. As we move forward, we will continue to evaluate the project through the lens of competitiveness, execution readiness, and capital affordability before any decision regarding construction is made.”

“Today, the new NRC is issuing America’s first construction permit for a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor in more than half a century,” NRC Chairman Ho K. Nieh said. “We delivered on the 18-month schedule, proving we can do rigorous safety reviews on predictable timelines that move advanced nuclear technology from design to construction.”

“This milestone marks a significant step forward for the Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and our efforts to bring next-generation nuclear technologies to market,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Mike Goff. “The NRC’s approval demonstrates meaningful progress toward deploying advanced reactors that can deliver reliable power and industrial heat, strengthen American energy leadership and expand the role of nuclear energy in meeting our nation’s growing energy demands.”