Duke Energy has filed a permit application to assess the feasibility of a nuclear reactor in Stokes County, on an existing production site, without committing to its immediate construction.
The American energy group Duke Energy has officially submitted a permit application to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission with the aim of evaluating the possibility of establishing a nuclear reactor at the site of its Belews Creek power plant, in North Carolina. This anticipated site permit process could last 18 months and aims to reduce the risk of delays if the group decides, in the coming years, to begin the construction of a nuclear unit.
A strategy without immediate construction commitment
Duke Energy specifies that no decision has been made regarding the construction of a new reactor. The objective of the deposit is to secure the regulatory and environmental stages upstream. The permit covers an area of 1,000 acres located near the current coal and gas thermal power plant, which was commissioned in 1974. This site today has an installed capacity of 2,200 megawatts, with a planned closure of existing units in the 2030s.
The permit submission is part of an energy diversification strategy. The company sees this as a “risk management” approach in order to maintain technological flexibility. Indeed, six nuclear technologies are envisaged in the request: four designs of small modular reactors (Small Modular Reactors – SMR) and two others of the non-light water type.
Optimization of existing sites and cost reduction
Using a site already equipped with transportation and electricity production infrastructure would, according to Duke, enable significant savings in time and money. The Belews Creek power station has already undergone a partial conversion to natural gas in 2020 and 2021, making it easier to integrate new energy sources.
According to the data reported, Duke plans, if approved, to install approximately 600 megawatts of advanced nuclear capacity by 2037, with a potential first commissioning as early as 2036. The permit, if approved, would be valid for a period of 20 years, renewable once for the same period.
Prepare the network for growing demand
Duke Energy’s transition involves closing or converting all of its coal-fired power plants in North Carolina over the next 15 years. This structural transformation of the energy mix requires stable replacement solutions capable of meeting increasing demand. The group indicated, in its recent projections, that the expected productivity of future nuclear capacities would significantly exceed that of new solar installations, although the latter would be more numerous.
The use of nuclear power in this context also falls within the regulatory framework of the Carbon Plan, a North Carolina state law requiring a gradual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
