Holtec, Hi Tech Solutions and the state of Utah have recently entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a “nuclear ecosystem” for small reactors in Utah and the broader Mountain West.
The initiative includes the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) with domestic manufacturing, operational training and workforce development, as stated in Hi Tech Solutions’s Monday press release.
Through the MOU, Hi Tech Solutions, a nuclear support services company based in Kennewick, Wash., will lead the operational training and workforce development aspects of the project.
Holtec, a nuclear technology company headquartered in Jupiter, Fla., will deploy its SMR-300 for the project.
Holtec’s SMR-300 is a small modular pressurized water nuclear reactor that can produce 300 megawatts of electricity.
Also, as a part of the MOU, they will collaborate to build a permanent dedicated state-supported workforce development center in Utah by 2028, Holtec said in its press release.
In February Holtec announced its “Mission 2030” initiative that aims to deploy its first SMR-300 at the Palisades site in Michigan by 2030. Following that announcement, Holtec said it is finalizing a plan for up to four gigawatts of SMR-300s to be deployed in the 2030s, primarily in Utah and Wyoming.
The Palisades site will serve as a reference plant for the Mountain West buildout, Holtec said.
The MOU supports Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s (R) “Operation Gigawatt” and “Built Here” strategic initiatives, which are strategies that would double energy production in Utah within 10 years.
The two state initiatives also emphasize expanding clean energy policies, including support for nuclear power. Utah currently has no operating nuclear plants in the state.
Last month, the state of Utah entered into a MOU with EnergySolutions and Intermountain Power Agency to explore the development of advanced nuclear energy generation.
