TVA Briefing on Clinch River Nuclear Site Development

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on 25 February 2025 gave a virtual briefing on its plans to develop nuclear power on its former Clinch River Breeder Reactor site. TVA’s intention appears to be to build two or three “small, modular reactors” for power generation up to 300 megawatts (MW) each. TVA first applied for regulatory approval for this project in 2016. It received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop a plan for the site in 2019. TVA hopes to get approval to build the plant and place it in operation on the Clinch River Site by 2033. To that end, TVA recently prepared a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and is requesting public comment by 18 March 2025.

The distinguishing feature of the “small modular reactor” design selected for the site is that much of the plant could be manufactured in a factory according to a standard design with the idea of avoiding the complications, cost, and delays of standard industry practice of building large plants custom-designed for each site.

TVA has chosen a boiling water reactor design—meaning both the cooling and the working fluid for power generation—are provided by water. That feature is typical of many older reactors, including the Southern Nuclear company’s Hatch reactors near Vidalia, Georgia. The older, larger plants like Hatch, however, have “active” cooling which requires power and personnel to maintain reactor cooling, while the modular design would have “passive” cooling. This design is intended to avoid reactor accidents.

The planned Clinch River reactors would be only about one-tenth the size of the Hatch Reactors and would be manufactured by GE Hitachi Corporation. The specific reactor type being considered is the GEH BWRX 300 MW. 

The discussion in the online session, including the environmental impacts, were quite general and non-specific, including answers to questions submitted by viewers. Among the responses provided to the few questions submitted were the following: 

– The reactors would be located on TVA-owned land at the former Clinch River Breeder Reactor site. (That demonstration project was abandoned before the breeder reactor plant was completed.) The site is bounded by Oak Ridge reservation and the Watts Bar Reservoir.

– TVA considered but rejected alternative sites, including the Oak Ridge Reservation and Redstone, Alabama.

– Spent fuel removed after the new reactor’s operation would be stored on site unless and until a permanent repository for waste fuel were to be approved and built.

– TVA plans to locate the plant and operate its reservoirs to avoid flooding the new reactor.

– Cooling water would be supplied from the Clinch River to low-profile (relative to the industry standard) cooling towers. Potential impacts of this process on acquatic life in the river are described in the new supplemental environmental impact statement. 

– TVA plans to finish the supplemental impact statement this summer and publish a record of decision regarding its plans this summer.

Deadline for public comment is March 18, 2025. Send comments to:

Online: www.tva.com/nepa; by email: nepa@tva.com; by mail: Attn: Carol Butler Freeman, NEPA Compliance, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT 11B, Knoxville, TN 37902