Elementl has already agreed to purchase the 700-acre site 100 miles southeast of Columbus and has filed a request with PJM Interconnection to connect the site into the regional transmission system for the first 600 MW of output.
The company says its plan is for the proposed plant to have a capacity of 1.5 GW – the equivalent of five of the BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs). Elementl, which says the plant would be privately financed, says that if it goes ahead with the project, it is aiming for construction to begin in 2030 with completion of the first unit in 2034.
Elementl Chairman and CEO Chris Colbert said: “Elementl builds partnerships to accelerate the financing and delivery of reliable, clean, around-the-clock nuclear power, and we’re committed to working closely with Letart Township, Meigs County, the state of Ohio and beyond throughout this process. GE Vernova Hitachi is a proven, global leader in nuclear technology, and we’re pleased to partner with them to deploy their advanced BWRX-300 reactor at this site. Nuclear projects are substantial economic anchors for their communities, and with a proud industrial legacy, southeast Ohio brings the foundation and workforce needed for a project of this magnitude.”
GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik said: “We are pleased to support Elementl Power as it advances development of this project, and to work alongside customers who are taking meaningful steps to bring new nuclear generation online. Nuclear energy will play an essential part of the future energy mix and projects like this will strengthen the foundation for long-term energy security, economic growth, and reliable electricity generation in the United States.”
Director of Meigs County Economic Development Office Chase Jenkins said: “Meigs County recognises the significant opportunity that Elementl’s proposed project represents for our region’s long-term energy future. We support continued exploration of this development and look forward to engaging with the community, state leaders, and project partners as plans take shape.”
Background
Elementl Power, founded in 2022, describes itself as a technology-agnostic advanced nuclear project developer which aims to provide “turn-key development, financing and ownership solutions for customers that want access to clean baseload power but may not want to own or operate nuclear power assets”. It says its mission is to “to deploy over 10 gigawatts of next-generation nuclear power in the US by 2035”.
Its highest profile partnership is with tech giant Google, which in May last year announced it was providing early-stage capital for Elementl Power to prepare three potential sites in the USA for advanced nuclear power projects.
The aim was that each of the three sites would have “at least 600 MW of capacity”. The value of the investment was not included in the two companies’ collaboration announcement, or the locations of the three proposed sites.
Google said at the time: “This agreement is part of our continued work to source 24/7 baseload energy to support our operations and strengthen power grids. It also helps Elementl advance its goal of bringing significant nuclear capacity online by 2035. This innovative approach links capital investment directly with the growing demand for clean baseload power, with Google having the option for commercial off-take once projects are complete.”
