Dow and X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC announced their entry into a joint development agreement to demonstrate the first grid-scale advanced nuclear reactor for an industrial site in North America. As a subawardee under the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program Cooperative Agreement with X-energy, Dow intends to work with X-energy to install their Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (“HTGR”) plant at one of Dow's U.S. Gulf Coast sites, providing the site with safe, reliable, low-carbon power and steam within this decade. The JDA includes up to $50 million in engineering work, up to half of which is eligible to be funded through ARDP, and the other half by Dow.

The JDA work scope also includes the preparation and submission of a Construction Permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Working with DOE and subject to its review and approval, Dow and X-energy expect to finalize site selection in 2023. The parties intend to perform further ARDP-related work under the JDA as the project progresses.

Additionally, the companies have agreed to develop a framework to jointly license and utilize the technology and learnings from the project, which would enable other industrial customers to effectively utilize Xe-100 industrial low carbon energy technology.