Westinghouse and St. Louis-based Ameren Missouri will collaborate on developing small modular nuclear reactors, or SMR’s, and will seek to build them at Ameren’s Callaway County plant.
Westinghouse officials say they’ll apply for federal funding to build an SMR alongside Callaway’s current reactor, and to build more SMR’s at the site for export. Gov. Jay Nixon described the economic potential as enormous:
“Missouri’s central location along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers would also make our state a convenient location for shipping these modular reactors to markets anywhere in the world…this is a collaboration that would grow jobs, grow our economy,” Nixon said.
Ameren officials would apply for licenses to operate up to five SMR’s if the funding is approved. Meanwhile, the utility has suspended efforts to seek an early sight permit for a second reactor.