Holtec International completed major refurbishment projects for the shuttered Palisades reactor in Michigan and is on track to restart the plant probably in the first half of this year, the company said this week.
Site preparation is also getting underway for a couple of planned small modular reactors at the property that could enter service in the 2030s, Holtec said.
Holtec completed passivation of the reactor’s primary system, the company said in its press release. Passivation is a process that creates a protective layer on the inner surfaces of the pipes and components to reduce corrosion and improve structural integrity.
The process is a critical step to ensure long-term equipment reliability for the Palisades reactor to return to service, Holtec said.
In performing the passivation, the Palisades team brought the primary system to normal operating temperature and pressure for the first time since the reactor shut down in 2022, Holtec said. This effort builds on work completed across the primary system, including steam generator tube repairs and pressure boundary weld restorations, Holtec added.
“Establishing and maintaining these conditions allowed for precise control of water chemistry and restoration of the system’s protective surfaces following extensive maintenance, inspection, and component upgrades completed over the past two years,” Holtec said.
The nuclear facility will now be cooled, tested and prepared for fuel loading, Holtec said. The company also said there are additional activities underway, including upgrades to the fuel handling system, switchyard restoration and final closeout of major maintenance tasks.
The company also said it has completed more than 300 inspections of piping and welds and reinstalled the main turbine generator.
The plant is said to be on the brink of restarting after returning to operational status in August 2025. Holtec said in October 2025 it had received the fuel assemblies to restart electric generation at the plant.
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.
In parallel to Holtec’s restart efforts at the Palisades site, the company has been moving forward with its Pioneer 1 and 2 SMR-300 units. Working with Hyundai E&C and Mitsubishi Electric, early site preparations are proceeding in accordance with approved permits, Holtec said.
Holtec submitted the first portion of its construction permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in December 2025. Along with the first part, Holtec is seeking a limited work authorization for certain construction tasks for its two proposed small modular reactors (SMRs).
NRC accepted the first part of the application for review in February. The two planned reactors, Pioneer 1 and 2, will provide an additional 680 megawatts to the Palisades site. Holtec expects the two Palisades SMRs to be commissioned in the early 2030s.
The Palisades SMR project is also being backed by a $400 million grant from DOE.