Dow's Texas nuclear plant clears key environmental hurdle ahead of schedule
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has finished its environmental review of the Long Mott Generating Station ahead of schedule. This project, led by Dow, plans to build four advanced nuclear reactors at the company’s Seadrift site in Texas. If approved, it would become the first grid-scale advanced nuclear facility serving an industrial site in North America. The proposed station will feature four X-energy Xe-100 high-temperature gas reactors. Together, they will generate 320 megawatts of electricity and provide 200 megawatts of thermal output per unit for industrial use. The NRC determined that an environmental assessment was sufficient, rather than a full environmental impact statement, as the project’s potential effects were deemed not significant.
The NRC’s review process moved faster than expected, thanks to X-energy’s earlier pre-licensing work and a detailed construction permit application. A safety review of the permit is still underway, with a decision expected later this year under an 18-month timeline set by federal executive order.
Dow, a major energy user, has backed the project as part of its commitment to the Large Energy End Users Pledge. This initiative aims to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Once operational, the Long Mott station is projected to cut carbon dioxide emissions from the Seadrift site by around 440,000 tonnes annually. The NRC’s environmental approval marks a key step forward for the Long Mott project. If the safety review is also completed on time, construction could proceed as planned. The facility would then support Dow’s industrial operations while significantly reducing the site’s carbon footprint.
