The Palisades nuclear station in the US stat of Michigan has made history after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved a licensing package that paves the way for the plant to load fuel and resume power operations.
The approval makes Palisades, which has a single 805-MW Pressurised water reactor unit, the first nuclear plant in the country to move from decommissioning status back to an operating licence.
The plant’s owner, Florida-based Holtec International, said the licensing means Palisades can start bringing in fuel and officially get operators back on shift.
While a major milestone, the NRC said in a statement the plant still needs to meet more requirements before it can restart.
“While these NRC approvals will allow Holtec to load fuel, there are still several licensing actions under NRC review and additional requirements that need to be met before the plant can start up under the original operating licence, which would expire March 24, 2031,” the NRC said.
Holtec said in a statement: “The plant continues to progress towards a timely restart, with extensive readiness work underway – including rigorous testing, inspections, and maintenance – to ensure a safe and reliable return to service under ongoing independent federal oversight,” it said.
In an earlier statement Holtec said that in addition to the NRC’s continuous presence and independent inspections, the plant is also undergoing robust industry-led evaluations, including a completed NRC Nuclear Safety Review Board audit and a comprehensive pre-startup review by the World Association of Nuclear Operators.
Background: Restart Backed By Federal Loan Guarantee
Palisades, which began commercial operation in 2022, ceased operations in May 2022. In late 2023, Holtec began filing licensing and regulatory requests to support returning the plant to operational status.
Holtec bought Palisades to decommission the facility, which had struggled to compete with natural gas-fired plants and renewable energy. But in early 2023, Holtec applied to the DOE for federal loan funding to repower the plant.
Last month the US Department of Energy released the fourth loan disbursement to Holtec to help with the company’s plan to restart Palisades.
The move disbursed just over $100m (€87m) of a loan guarantee of up to $1.52bn to Holtec for the Palisades project.
The Biden administration finalised the $1.52bn loan guarantee for the project in September 2024.
Holtec has said it might also use the Palisades site as the location for its first two small modular reactor units, which would potentially add an additional 800 MW of generation capacity.
Workers at Palisades inspect the main generator rotor as work continues towards restarting the plant. Courtesy Holtec International.