The Palisades Nuclear Plant in Covert, Michigan has been at the forefront of conversation for the past couple years, after Holtec Industries announced it would be restarting the plant, which was decommissioned back in May of 2022.
On Tuesday the company announced new technology coming to the plant that is another step of the restart.
The introduction of small modular reactors, or SMR's, the first of its kind in the United States. It marks a significant development for the facility as it seeks to re-enter the power market.
During a press conference, a representative from Holtec emphasized the importance of reliable, clean energy. "We need to first secure our grid with firm power for ourselves and our children," said Dr. Rick Springman, President of the Global Clean Energy Opportunities Division,"That power must be clean. The only answer is nuclear energy," he stated.
Holtec’s partnership with Hyundai E&C will bring the first-ever SMR technology to the United States. The company claims these two reactors will generate nearly 640 megawatts of power, contributing significantly to Michigan's energy needs. "I am told that that will eliminate the pollution that will be caused by 900 cars on the roads and by wage of Michigan. It's an enormous contribution to clean energy," said Dr. Kris Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Holtec International.
Safety remains a top priority for Holtec. "It is walk away safe. It's Fukushima proof. Every possible way a reactor could go out of control had been considered," Dr.Singh assured attendees.
However, opposition exists among community advocates concerned about the environmental impact of the project's restart. Michael Keegan from 'Don’t Waste Michigan' raised alarms about potential hazards.
"They're doing construction. They're doing pads. There's a lot of environmental degradation going to go down during this restart revamp," he said. "To get it back up and running, they have the potential of their dumping hydrazine, a very toxic chemical, that goes into the lake."
Critics argue that nuclear power is not as green as its proponents claim. Keegan pointed out, "It's not green energy, and there are greenhouse gases associated with a lot of fossil fuel that goes into the front end — in the mining, milling, processing of uranium, and then the transportation."
Despite these concerns, Holtec remains optimistic about the project's potential, "Michigan had become an importer in the course of it, and we had a solid workforce of union members throughout this state who were willing to come here," said Kelly Trice, President of Holtec. "They highlighted the benefit of having an experienced operational staff and training platform as crucial factors for the successful implementation of SMR reactors."
Holtec aims to have the Palisades plant operational by the end of 2025 with plans to fully integrate the SMR technology by 2030.
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