In a move that could reshape how industrial operations are powered, Dow Chemical and nuclear tech company X-energy have taken a major step toward bringing advanced nuclear reactors to an active chemical plant in Seadrift, Texas. If successful, it would mark the first time nuclear reactors are integrated directly into an industrial facility, setting a powerful precedent for clean, consistent, and low-emissions energy use in heavy industry.
As MIT Technology Review reports, the companies have officially submitted a construction permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)—a key milestone that signals significant progress in the regulatory and development process for next-generation nuclear energy.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Harlan Bowers, senior vice president at X-energy, noting that regulatory discussions with the NRC began in 2016. The project received a boost in 2020 when X-energy was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, which funds promising nuclear technologies.
The Seadrift plant, owned by Dow, produces approximately 4 billion pounds of materials each year, including plastics used in food and pharmaceutical packaging, along with chemicals for antifreeze, soaps, and paints. Currently, it relies on aging natural gas systems for both electricity and high-temperature steam. Dow sees the shift to nuclear as a way to modernize and decarbonize operations.
“Dow saw the opportunity to replace end-of-life assets with safe, reliable, lower-carbon-emissions technology,” said Edward Stones, a Dow executive, in a statement to MIT Technology Review. The high-temperature capabilities of X-energy’s design—needed to produce the consistent steam required for chemical processing—made the Xe-100 reactors a strong fit for the facility.
Each of the four Xe-100 reactors slated for the site will be capable of generating about 200 megawatts of steam or 80 megawatts of electricity. The advanced reactor design uses helium gas to transfer heat from compact, self-contained pebbles of nuclear fuel. This design allows the system to reach very high temperatures safely and efficiently—ideal for powering industrial systems that need both heat and electricity.
During routine operations, two of the reactors will supply steam, one will generate electricity for the plant, and the fourth will export electricity to the grid. This setup provides built-in redundancy, ensuring that operations can continue uninterrupted even if one module goes offline for maintenance or inspection.
“This project demonstrates real-world momentum toward deploying new nuclear reactors for industrial decarbonization,” said Eric Cothron, senior analyst at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, in comments to MIT Technology Review. He emphasized the significance of integrating nuclear power directly into manufacturing infrastructure—a step forward not just for Dow and X-energy, but for the broader goal of decarbonizing heavy industry.
While final approval may still be years away—the NRC’s permit review process could take up to two and a half years—this marks a pivotal moment for advanced nuclear technology. Once approved, the project will also require an operating license before the reactors can begin powering the site, with startup projected for early in the next decade.
