Blue Energy, a developer of financeable, prefabricated nuclear power plants, and GE Vernova announced a strategically paired 2.5 GW nuclear and natural gas collaboration. Aimed at helping advance the world’s first gas-plus-nuclear power plant, it could deliver a new, near-term approach to help meet surging U.S. electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
The collaboration combines Blue Energy’s innovative project financing and nuclear construction techniques with GE Vernova’s world-class reactor technology and flagship turbines. The companies plan to design and develop a nuclear power plant using GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GVH) BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at Blue Energy’s first planned site in Texas, subject to a final investment decision in 2027. To support project advancement, the companies signed a slot reservation agreement for site delivery in 2029 of two GE Vernova 7HA.02 gas turbines for early site energization.
The companies are also exploring optimal methods for contracting and offsite construction of large power plant modules consistent with GVH’s BWRX-300 design to reduce capital costs and to accelerate offsite pre-fabrication supply chains. Because the majority of Blue Energy’s plants will be built offsite and barged to final locations, similar to recent LNG terminal builds, the model could provide thousands of jobs across the United States from existing fabrication yards and shipyards to plant communities and states across the supply chain.
The NRC recently approved Blue Energy’s innovative approach to resequencing major phases of nuclear plant construction that supports large module and gas-to-nuclear delivery schedules. As a result, Blue Energy can accelerate deployment of new nuclear power with the potential to eliminate at least half a decade off the conventional ten year plus nuclear timeline, slashing time to power to 48 months or less by energizing turbines with a natural gas bridge that converts to nuclear power, and unlock project financing on a large fraction of the capex for the first time on a nuclear power project.
The companies will enter into further agreement in the near future under which GE Vernova, in collaboration with Blue Energy, will perform site preliminary safety analysis work as well as other detailed and necessary development and characterization work to support Blue Energy’s nuclear construction permit application.
Blue Energy could begin early site works on its first planned project in Texas in 2026, to support a final investment decision in 2027. The company then will apply to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a construction permit in 2027. GE Vernova gas turbines are expected to provide approximately 1 gigawatt (GW) of power to the site as early as 2030 before the steam supply is switched and ramped up to approximately 1.5 GW of nuclear power as GE Vernova’s BWRX-300s come online as early as 2032. Blue Energy then plans to deliver nuclear energy to power a nearby data center campus.
