The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted the first part of a Holtec International subsidiary’s construction permit application for review, according to Holtec’s Wednesday LinkedIn post.
NRC said in a Feb. 13 letter it has completed the acceptance review for the permit, submitted Dec. 31 by Holtec’s SMR, LLC.. Along with the first part of the application, the Holtec subsidiary also wants a limited work authorization for specific construction tasks for its two proposed SMRs at the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan.
The limited work authorization (LWA) allows applicants to start non-safety-related site preparation before the construction permit or combined license is issued, according to NRC.
“This milestone reflects the continued dedication, technical rigor and collaboration of our teams and partners as we work to deploy the SMR-300 and strengthen America’s clean energy future,” Holtec said in the LinkedIn post.
According to the letter, NRC said it estimates to have both the final safety evaluation report and final environment impact statement completed by March 2027. It also expects to subsequently make a decision on the work authorization.
“It is estimated that the mandatory hearing will be completed within three months after issuance of the final safety evaluation report and final environment impact statement and a decision on the LWA could be made by June 2027,” NRC said.
Though SMR LLC submitted the first portion in late December 2025, NRC said it expects to receive the second portion of Holtec’s application in mid-2027. But if NRC issues Holtec’s construction permit, the company will still need an operation license.
The two Palisades SMRs, named Pioneer Units 1 and 2, are designed to generate 340 megawatts each. The Palisade SMRs will be supported by a $400 million award from the Department of Energy that was announced in December 2025.
With the first portion accepted for review, Holtec’s SMR application is now listed under the advanced reactor applications project section on NRC’s website.