Texas A&M looks to host 4 SMR projects
Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp has announced that the university could soon become a home to small modular reactors from four advanced nuclear companies: Kairos Power, Natura Resources, Terrestrial Energy, and Aalo Atomics.
The university is making Texas A&M–RELLIS—a 2,400-acre technology and innovation campus in Bryan, Texas—available to four nuclear power companies for deployment and testing. The RELLIS campus is named for the six “Aggie” core values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless service.
The project—dubbed the Energy Proving Ground—provides space for companies to bring commercial-ready technologies and test new prototypes.
“The Energy Proving Ground will allow these companies to safely test their SMRs and set the stage for deploying [SMRs] across the country,” said Joe Elabd, vice chancellor for research at the Texas A&M, in a February 4 news release.
A closer look: The university has taken steps to streamline the regulatory process to allow the four companies to quickly become operational. Texas A&M began the application process with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in November for an early site permit to support the development of commercial electrical and thermal power generation facilities.
The SMRs sited at Texas A&M–RELLIS are expected to produce upward of 1 GW of electricity, combined, according to the news release.
Participants hope to have the first reactors built in the next five years. Once complete, the units could supply power to ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, organizers said.
In their words: “Plain and simple: the United States needs more power,” Sharp said. “And nowhere in the country, other than Texas, is anyone willing to step up and build the power plants we need. Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Greg Abbott and others in Texas state government, Texas A&M System stands ready to step up and do what is necessary for the country to thrive.”
Mike Laufer, cofounder and chief executive of Kairos Power, said his company wants to bring one or more commercial deployments to the site as the surging demand for clean energy has positioned nuclear energy at the forefront of a national discussion about reliable, carbon-free energy.
“We are excited about the momentum for new nuclear deployment at Texas A&M–RELLIS and its potential to support U.S. energy security and continued economic growth. We look forward to collaborating with the Texas A&M System to advance Kairos Power’s clean energy mission and play a new role in developing the nation’s future nuclear workforce,” Laufer said.
Douglass Robison, founder and CEO of Natura Resources, said his company’s partnership with Texas A&M has been integral during the past five years of collaboration to develop the Natura MSR-1 demonstration system.
“We plan to showcase how our technology can address the energy needs of Texas and the nation,” Robison said in the release.
Terrestrial Energy CEO Simon Irish said the partnership with Texas A&M is critical for the development of its integral molten salt reactor (IMSR) technology at the site.
“Our partnership with Texas A&M at its RELLIS campus is an important strategic relationship, which showcases the commercial potential of our small modular power plant and its advanced nuclear technology,” Irish said in the release.
Matt Loszak, cofounder and CEO of Aalo Atomics, said his company is prepared to build up to six units at the site.
“We are excited to partner with an innovation leader like the Texas A&M System, and to jointly help shape the future of energy while creating opportunities for research, education and the Texas economy,” Loszak said. “This collaboration is a pivotal step for Aalo as it provides us with a platform to demonstrate the potential of our factory mass-manufactured nuclear technology to deliver reliable, clean energy that will ultimately power the next generation of data centers and AI infrastructure.”
