Holtec Submits Preliminary Safety Analysis Report for Palisades SMRs

Holtec has submitted the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its Pioneer 1 & 2 SMR-300 units. This submission completes the second phase of the Construction Permit Application (CPA) process, which was initiated with the Limited Work Authorization (LWA) application and Environmental Report (ER) in December 2025.

The PSAR provides the NRC with detailed technical and safety information to support Holtec's application to construct two SMR-300 small modular reactors at the Palisades site in Covert Township, Michigan. These units, Pioneer 1 & 2, are designed to add 680 MW of generating capacity and will be located adjacent to the existing 805 MWe Palisades nuclear power plant. The twin-unit Pioneer plant will become part of the Palisades Energy Campus.

Regulatory Milestones and Technical Advancements

The PSAR submission follows several pre-submittal engagement meetings and technical interactions with NRC staff. Recent milestones in the SMR program include:

Holtec is also working with the NRC to review an issue where a single fuel assembly did not load as planned at the Palisades plant, which is currently in the final stages of fuel loading.

  • A novel civil construction method utilizing shop-fabricated modules, validated through testing at Purdue University, aims to reduce labor requirements compared to conventional construction. The associated Licensing Topical Report (LTR) was audited and accepted by the NRC in September 2026, with the Safety Evaluation Report (SER) expected by early November 2026.
  • An LTR defining a methodology for predicting soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects under various seismic and soil conditions was audited and accepted by the NRC in September 2026. The SER for this LTR is anticipated by the end of October 2026. This methodology is intended to support the deployment of a standard SMR-300 design across diverse global sites.
  • An LTR detailing an innovative instrumentation and control architecture was audited and accepted by the NRC in August 2026, with official regulatory approval expected in October 2026.
  • The NRC's draft SER for the LWA application, representing the first phase of the CPA, is anticipated in December 2026. The NRC audit for this application concluded in September 2026.

Next Steps

Upcoming development tasks include completing a Class 2 construction estimate, developing a 4D simulation of the entire plant to visualize the construction process, and finalizing confirmatory safety analyses for the plant's Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR).

South Korea and U.S. Announce Major Nuclear Energy Cooperation

The governments of South Korea and the United States have jointly announced a significant agreement to build new megawatt-class nuclear reactors within the United States. This collaboration is intended to strengthen supply chains and foster cooperation in strategic industrial sectors, including energy, between the two countries. The agreement deepens the strategic partnership and reflects a shared commitment to implementing a trade deal.

The comprehensive cooperation framework outlines the construction of eight large-scale nuclear power plants: two APR1400s and six AP1000s. These reactors are intended to expand baseload power capacity and enhance U.S. energy security. Both the AP1000 and the APR1400 designs have received licensing from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for construction in the U.S. The objective is to have all eight reactors under construction by 2030. The plan leverages U.S. technological expertise with South Korea's supply chain capabilities.

Project Participants and Funding

The parties involved in this agreement include the governments of both countries, Westinghouse Electric Company, Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. The agreement aims to utilize South Korea's construction capabilities to meet U.S. electricity demands.

The total planned funding allocation is $120 billion out of a $200 billion overall plan. Of this, $100 billion is designated for construction costs, with an additional $20 billion allocated for contingency reserves. To facilitate prompt construction, the Republic of Korea and the United States have agreed to cooperate on a $10 billion advance payment by the end of the year. This payment is primarily for the immediate purchase of long-lead items, in compliance with domestic legal requirements.

Additionally, potential investment by Korean companies in a significant minority interest in Westinghouse will be pursued. This arrangement is designed to facilitate the sharing of commercial gains from large-scale nuclear power plant projects, with detailed terms and conditions to be finalized through commercial negotiations at a later date.

Holtec Submits Second Part of Construction Permit Application for SMRs at Palisades

Holtec has submitted the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its Pioneer 1 and 2 SMR-300 small modular reactors planned for the Palisades site. This submission provides detailed technical and safety information to support Holtec's application to construct the reactors.

The SMR-300 is a pressurized water reactor (PWR) designed to produce approximately 300 MWe or 1,050 MWt for process applications. The Palisades site currently hosts an 805 MWe PWR that closed in 2022 and is undergoing recommissioning by Holtec.

The construction permit application process began in December 2025 with the submission of a limited work authorization request and an Environmental Report. The NRC accepted these for review and docketed them in February. A draft Safety Evaluation Report for the limited work authorization application is anticipated in December 2026.

Early Construction Activities and Future Steps

An exemption granted by the NRC on August 28 authorized the installation of permanent support-of-excavation and cutoff-wall systems for Pioneer units 1 and 2. These systems, including diaphragm walls, soldier-pile soil-mix walls, and perimeter cutoff walls, are intended to establish stable excavation and foundation conditions to accelerate subsequent plant construction once limited work authorization is approved. These support-of-excavation walls will be retired in place, with the space between the walls and permanent structures backfilled to grade.

Holtec plans to complete a Class 2 construction estimate, a 4D simulation of the entire plant's construction evolution, and confirmatory safety analyses for the plant's Final Safety Analysis Report. A safety evaluation report and environmental assessment are required before the NRC can approve reactor projects. A separate operating license application will be required after the units are built.

Holtec acknowledged the support from the US Department of Energy for the Pioneer deployment program and the NRC's engagement and responsiveness, which have contributed to the project's progress. The Pioneer reactors are projected to be operational in the early 2030s.