Partnership announces plans to pursue nuclear power generation at Delta’s IPP

EnergySolutions, a Salt Lake City-based nuclear services company, has announced the launch of a partnership with the Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) and the state of Utah to explore the development of advanced nuclear power generation at IPA’s Intermountain Power Project (IPP) site near Delta in Millard County. The parties to the agreement signed a memorandum of understanding in April.

EnergySolutions said the partnership will investigate leveraging the existing infrastructure at the IPP site for nuclear power development, including the development of advanced small modular reactor nuclear baseload power. IPA’s energy hub at the IPP site will provide access to the power grid and the facility’s grid stabilization technologies.

The new group will promote collaboration with local, state and regional stakeholders and advance a commitment to rural economic development and job creation in Utah, the announcement said.

“We are excited to pursue this opportunity to create a clean energy hub for the western United States,” said Ken Robuck, president and CEO of EnergySolutions. “By adding new advanced nuclear technology to the existing renewable and hydrogen initiatives, we aim to provide a stable, decarbonized power supply that meets the needs of the state of Utah and the region.”

“The project is aligned with Gov. Spencer Cox’s ’Operation Gigawatt’ initiative and seeks to address increasing demand for electrification of society and energy-intensive industries critical to maintaining our quality of life,” said Emy Lesofski, director of the Utah Office of Energy Development.

“The IPP site is uniquely positioned for consideration of new nuclear generation and builds on IPA’s successful history of power generation development in Utah,” said Cameron Cowan, IPA general manager. “EnergySolutions is a Utah-based nuclear company with the background and capability to facilitate evaluating this unique opportunity. We look forward to working together on this initiative.”

“EnergySolutions is working closely with IPA, leveraging their extensive experience in power project development and execution in Utah,” Energy Solutions said in its release announcing the initiative. “The company is committed to following rigorous project development processes and fostering collaboration among all stakeholders.”

EnergySolutions is an international nuclear services company with operations throughout the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe. It specializes in the transportation, processing, recycling and storage of radiologic material.

The Intermountain Power Agency is a cooperative made up of government agencies, utilities and 29 municipalities that operates power production and distribution facilities, including the Intermountain Power Project near Delta. Currently operated as a coal-fired generating station, IPP is being converted to run on hydrogen that will be produced at the site.