A concept drawing shows what Brigham City’s announced nuclear power generating station may look like. The picture depicts Holtec International’s SMR-300 small modular reactor. (Image courtesy Holtec International)
Plans are still a little sketchy, but Brigham City has been selected as the site of Utah’s first nuclear power plant — one of several to be deployed in the state.
Gov. Spencer Cox joined Brigham City Mayor D.J. Bott, other government officials and representatives from two firms that will develop the plant to make the announcement. The press event was held at the Brigham Academy Center in downtown Brigham City.
The Brigham City installation will be a furtherment of “Operation Gigawatt,” a project designed to double Utah’s power production over the next 10 years, as announced by Cox last fall.
The new announcement outlined plans to develop four to 10 small modular reactors, or SMRs, around the state, beginning in Brigham City. The planned power plant — one of the first of its type in the nation — would generate electricity for civilian and military use, lowering the cost of energy for Utah consumers, Cox said.
“We are here to celebrate a combined effort that will play a key role in powering Utah for generations to come,” said Cox.
Officials from Holtec International and Hi Tech Solutions, the two firms that will build and operate the nuclear installation, were on hand for the announcement.
Holtec is an American company that operates around the globe from its headquarters in Jupiter, Florida. Founded in 1986, the company provides equipment and systems for the energy industry, particularly in nuclear power generation and spent nuclear fuel management. Holtec’s SMR-300 reactor will be the basis of the Brigham City plant.
Based in Kennewick, Washington, Hi Tech Solutions specializes in services for the nuclear power generation industry. The company is especially oriented to project management and technical advisory services.
The installation would also include a nuclear industry training program and a reactor parts manufacturing operation, according to Rick Springman, Holtec’s president of global clean energy opportunities.
“High Tech Solutions and Holtec International have joined forces to advance a full-scale energy ecosystem centered right here in Brigham City,” Cox said. “It creates a nuclear hub that manufactures the parts needed to operate and run advanced nuclear technologies like SMRs — not just here, but all over the world — and a workforce training center that will bring stable, high-paying jobs to Brigham City.”
Jeff Moss, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, also was on hand for the announcement and said the project is expected to bring about $750 million in private investment and roughly 1,350 jobs — 700 construction jobs and about 650 long-term positions — in partnership with Utah’s universities and technical colleges.
Cox told event attendees that Utah is moving toward energy independence through Operation Gigawatt.
“We have the resources to generate the power that we need and that those beyond the borders of our state need as well,” Cox said. “When we build the supply chains and workforce to meet those energy needs domestically and locally, we don’t just increase Utah’s energy security and independence. We increase our national security, which is more important than ever before.”
Officials said Utah’s nuclear power generation will meet the strictest safety and environmental standards anywhere in the world, regulated by federal and state agencies with multiple layers of protection.
“Today marks the launch of a complete civil nuclear energy ecosystem from start to finish, the first project of its kind,” Cox said.
Last week’s details follow a May 1 announcement that first outlined the agreement among Holtec International, Hi Tech Solutions and the state of Utah. At that time, Holtec reported that it and Hi Tech had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the state to collaborate in the deployment of SMR-300s in Utah and the broader Mountain
West region.
Citing Cox’s Operation Gigawatt, Holtec said it was advancing plans to deploy a fleet of SMR-300 reactors in cooperation with Hi Tech. To accomplish this goal, the companies said they would work together to build a permanent training facility in Utah by 2028 to focus on operations, maintenance and future technologies.
The training facility will focus on developing a skilled workforce for both the existing U.S. reactor fleet and next-generation SMR technology through key collaborations with Utah’s universities, technical colleges and trade schools, Holtec said last spring.
In addition to training, Holtec International said it will work to bring its “world-class manufacturing prowess to Utah as the preferred destination for a western manufacturing location for our SMR-300 reactors. This goal will help strengthen the U.S. nuclear supply chain by manufacturing and assembling SMR-related components and systems in Utah, generating high quality, long-term employment in the region.”