goingcritical:clinch-river-bwrx-300United States · SMR
Clinch River Unit 1 (BWRX-300)
Status: Announced Reactor status full glossary → Announced Publicly announced — a site and design are proposed, but construction has not begun. Site preparation Early site and civil works are under way; the first safety-related ("nuclear") concrete has not yet been poured. Under construction Formal construction has begun, marked by the first nuclear concrete. Fuel loaded Nuclear fuel has been loaded into the core. The reactor is fuelled but has not yet gone critical. Critical Has reached first criticality — a self-sustaining chain reaction, usually at low power — but is not yet connected to the grid. Grid connected Synchronised to the electrical grid and exporting power for the first time, but still in commissioning and power-ascension testing — not yet in commercial service. In commercial operation — the operator has formally declared the unit in regular commercial service. Shut down Permanently shut down and no longer generating; may be defuelled, undergoing decommissioning, or preserved in place. Canceled Abandoned before completion.
Site: Clinch River Nuclear Site, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
First US construction permit application for the BWRX-300 (docketed July 2025); site holds the only NRC early site permit for SMRs
No firm TVA operation target stated; NRC staff recommended issuing the construction permit (July 2026) after completing safety and environmental reviews, with the mandatory hearing set for Aug 13, 2026
Details
| Design | GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 |
| Electrical output | 300 MWe |
Milestone history
- Announced —
- Construction start —
- Fuel load —
- First criticality —
- Grid connection —
- Commercial operation —