Bringing together Blue Energy’s project financing and nuclear construction techniques with GE Vernova’s reactor technology and turbines, the companies plan to design and develop a nuclear power plant using GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GVH) BWRX-300 small modular reactor at Blue Energy’s first planned site in Texas, subject to a final investment decision in 2027, Blue Energy said. The companies have signed a slot reservation agreement for site delivery in 2029 of two GE Vernova 7HA.02 gas turbines for early site energisation.
At the beginning of this year, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved a licensing topical report supporting Blue Energy’s model for nuclear plant construction, which would see the separation of the nuclear and non-nuclear portions of the plant and begin by fabricating offsite and installing onsite non-nuclear, non-safety-significant infrastructure needed for its natural-gas-to-nuclear conversion. Blue Energy says this approach could potentially cut at least five years off the conventional nuclear construction timeline. Energising turbines with a “natural gas bridge” that later converts to nuclear power can slash “time to power” as well as helping to unlock project financing.
“Combining our industry-leading HA gas turbines with the BWRX-300, the only small modular nuclear reactor under construction in the Western world today, provides an effective solution aimed to meet the demands of rapid AI expansion in the United States while decreasing time to power,” said Eric Gray, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power Segment. “Our collaboration with Blue Energy on this project exemplifies the innovative approaches required to help deliver the scale of electricity needed for this extraordinary demand.”
The companies will enter into further agreement “in the near future” on preliminary safety analysis work as well as other detailed and necessary development and characterisation work to support Blue Energy’s nuclear construction permit application.
Blue Energy said it could begin early site works on its first planned project in Texas in 2026, to support a final investment decision and a construction permit application to the NRC in 2027. GE Vernova gas turbines are expected to provide around 1 GW of power to the site as early as 2030 before the steam supply is switched and ramped up to some 1.5 GW of nuclear power as GE Vernova’s BWRX-300s come online as early as 2032. Blue Energy then plans to deliver nuclear energy to power a nearby data centre campus.
“By collaborating with GE Vernova, we’re bringing together critical infrastructure, safe reactor technology, and a financeable delivery model,” Blue Energy CEO and co-founder Jake Jurewicz said.
In April, Blue Energy raised USD380 million in financing to advance its turnkey approach to nuclear plant development in a fundraise led by VXI Capital with significant backing from Engine Ventures and participation from other existing investors.
