US company will explore rolling out small modular reactors at site near Belews Creek coal facility
US utility Duke Energy has submitted an early site application (ESP) to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) covering a new nuclear site in North Carolina, aimed at reducing the risk of delays during licensing and construction.
The site for the ESP lies close to the Belews Creek power station, a 2,240-MW coal-fired generating facility in the state of North Carolina. The ESP seeks to resolve environmental and site safety matters at the start of a project as well as confirming the suitability of the site for new nuclear.
Submitting an ESP application is a first for Duke Energy and a risk-mitigation strategy for the company as it pursues new nuclear generation options. An ESP is an optional NRC process that resolves environmental and site safety topics on the front end of a project and confirms a site’s suitability for new nuclear generation.
“Having an approved permit reduces the risk of delays during licensing and construction if the company decides to build new nuclear units at the site in the future,” Duke Energy said.
It said that once the permit is in place, then it could subsequently select between six potential reactor technologies, including four small modular reactor (SMR) designs, and two non-light-water designs.
The company operates 11 large light-water reactors in the Carolinas, which are not covered under the ESP.
Duke said that should further evaluation confirm that the Belews Creek site offered the best value for its customers, then it would plan to build a 600-MW plant by 2037, with the first SMR coming on line in 2036.
“We’re taking a strategic approach to new nuclear development that allows us to advance licensing activities while reducing risks and allowing technologies to mature,” said Kelvin Henderson, chief nuclear officer at Duke Energy.
Duke laid out its long-term energy plan for North and South Carolina in October last year, which included the option of developing an SMR at Belews Creek or building a large scale reactor at the W.S. Lee steam power station site in South Carolina.
