Holtec files PSAR with NRC for two 680 MWe Palisades SMRs
The submittal completes the second phase of the construction permit application; the NRC's draft safety evaluation report on the limited work authorization phase is anticipated in December 2026.
Key facts
- Palisades Energy Campus anchored by the 805 MWe Palisades plant, in final stages before repowering
- LWA application and environmental report for the project were filed in December 2025
- NRC accepted the shop-fabricated modular construction LTR in September 2026; SER expected early November
- Soil-structure interaction LTR accepted in September 2026, SER anticipated by end of October
- Next steps: Class 2 construction estimate, 4D construction simulation, confirmatory analyses for the FSAR
Holtec International's corporate engineering unit submitted a preliminary safety analysis report (PSAR) to the NRC on September 30 for two SMR-300 small modular reactors planned at the Palisades site in Covert Township, Michigan. The filing completes the second phase of the construction permit application process, which began with a limited work authorization (LWA) application and an environmental report submitted in December 2025. The two units, named Pioneer 1 and 2, are designed to add 680 MWe of generating capacity. Holtec said the submittal followed pre-submittal engagement meetings with the NRC.
Three topical reports accepted in August and September
The NRC audited and accepted in September 2026 a licensing topical report (LTR) on a civil construction method using shop-fabricated modules, validated through testing at Purdue University. A safety evaluation report (SER) on that method is expected by early November 2026, Holtec said. The NRC also audited and accepted in September an LTR defining a methodology for modeling soil-structure interaction under different seismic and soil conditions, with an SER anticipated by the end of October. An LTR describing an instrumentation and control architecture was audited and accepted in August 2026, with regulatory approval anticipated in October 2026.
Draft SER on the limited work authorization expected in December
The NRC's draft SER for the LWA application, the first phase of the construction permit application, is anticipated in December 2026. The NRC closed its audit in September 2026.
The Pioneer plant will be part of the Palisades Energy Campus, anchored by the 805 MWe Palisades plant, which is in the final stages before repowering. The Pioneer 1 and 2 units will add 680 MWe to the 805 MWe output.
Holtec launched its SMR program in March 2011. Next on the development agenda are a Class 2 construction estimate, a 4D simulation of the plant's construction sequence, and confirmatory safety analyses supporting the final safety analysis report.
