Blue Energy and GVH Advance 2.5 GW Gas-Plus-Nuclear Project in Texas

Blue Energy and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) announced on August 13 that they have signed an agreement to launch the next phase of deploying a 2.5 GW gas-plus-nuclear power project in Texas, United States.

The project is located in Victoria, Texas. Under the agreement, the two parties will advance project engineering, licensing applications, and safety analyses, with a final investment decision planned for 2027. The project is expected to utilize GE Vernova's 7HA.02 gas turbine and GVH's BWRX-300 small modular reactor.

According to Blue Energy's plan, the project will be commissioned in phases: by 2030, two GE Vernova gas turbines will provide approximately 1 GW of electricity to nearby data centers; starting in 2032, up to five BWRX-300 small modular reactors will add 1.5 GW of electricity. The company stated that this combined approach targets the growing electricity demand from artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.

Blue Energy stated that its "Blue Way" model is based on the standardized, modular design of the BWRX-300, combined with logistics organization, off-site manufacturing, and large module assembly, to improve predictability in project schedule, cost, and delivery. Blue Energy CEO and co-founder Jake Jurewicz stated that the company hopes this model will reduce construction costs, shorten power delivery timelines, and make nuclear projects easier to finance and replicate.

Eric Gray, CEO of GE Vernova's Power business, stated that meeting sustained electricity demand growth requires mature, reliable, and scalable technologies, as well as the ability to integrate different technologies into solutions. The collaboration will combine HA-class gas turbine technology with BWRX-300 small modular reactor technology for reliable baseload power deployment.

The first BWRX-300 unit is currently under construction at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington site in Canada, with completion expected by the end of this decade. According to relevant plans, once completed, this unit will become the first grid-scale small modular reactor in the Western world.