Holtec International has completed major projects at the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan and has transitioned to the remaining routine maintenance and testing readiness work required before restarting operations.
According to Holtec’s July 2 press release, major projects completed during this phase include placement of the plant’s turbine generator “on turning gear” and installation and testing of a new fuel handling machine. These completed activities come after a handful of other projects that were completed by the company in late March.
Holtec said more than 5,000 individual work activities still remain before restarting, but that this transition is an important milestone. The project phase served as the company’s focus for “ensuring that Palisades is ready to support decades of safe, reliable operation,” it said.
“As we enter the final phase of this historic effort, we are grateful for the support provided by our federal, state, and community partners, whose collaboration has helped make this pioneering effort possible,” said Holtec Chairman and CEO Kris Singh. “The Palisades restart will forever serve as lasting evidence of what can be accomplished when government and private industry work together to achieve an important national objective.”
Palisades, an 800-megawatt nuclear plant in Covert Township, Mich., is striving to become the first shuttered U.S. reactor to return to full service. The restoration efforts have been backed by a $1.52 billion loan issued by the Department of Energy in 2024.
The plant has already received six loan reimbursements for its restart efforts, with the last one coming in September 2025. Nearly $500 million has been allocated to the plant so far.