X-Energy and Talen Energy have signed a letter of intent to explore development of X-Energy Xe-100 reactors in Pennsylvania to serve the PJM, a regional transmission organization.
PJM serves parts of 13 states and the District of Columbia. Talen, a Houston-based power company, operates the Susquehanna Nuclear Station in Salem Township, Pa., within the PJM region. All of the other energy facilities the utility operates in the region are fueled by coal and natural gas.
The two companies said in its March 19 press release that they will look to add three or four Xe-100 plants to bring baseload capacity to support growing energy demands and industrial uses, such as powering data centers and manufacturing facilities.
“Talen believes that future power demand needs an all-of-the-above supply approach, and this includes new nuclear technology,” Talen President Terry Nutt said. “Commercial nuclear energy is a proven carbon-free energy source that provides for energy independence and diversification.”
Under the agreement, Talen and X-Energy plan to conduct early-stage project development activities, such as site evaluations and feasibility studies. Though in the preliminary phase of the agreement, the companies may consider converting fossil-fired power plants into nuclear power plants, X-Energy said.
Dinkar Bhatia, X-Energy’s chief commercial officer, said the reactor company has a small modular reactor (SMR) technology “uniquely suited to meet these demand opportunities” and can “deploy across a range of project sites.”
X-Energy’s Xe-100 SMR is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor capable of producing 80 megawatts of electricity. The reactor is designed to operate as a four-pack power plant that generates 320 megawatts.