Nineteen years on, companies team up for US new-build project

Fulcrum Point is an affiliate of Utah nuclear services company Hi Tech Solutions. Last year, Hi Tech Solutions signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Holtec International and the State of Utah covering collaboration to support the deployment of Holtec's SMR-300 in Utah and the broader Mountain West region.

The Green River site has previously undergone extensive technical and environmental analysis, including meteorological and seismic data collection, core boring, geophysical surveys, groundwater monitoring, ecological studies, and bathymetry work, Blue Castle said, and the project also benefits from existing water rights, access to the road and rail networks, and multi-market transmission opportunities.

The project to build the nuclear power plant at Green River was first proposed by Transition Power Development in 2007 - project activities and management were consolidated by Transition Power Development into Blue Castle Holdings in 2009. By 2011, Blue Castle Holdings had already begun pre‐application activities with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on an Early Site Permit (ESP) for the site, located about five miles west-northwest of Green River in Emery County. In 2014, Blue Castle Holdings signed a memorandum of understanding with Westinghouse to pursue the development of a two-unit AP1000 plant at the site: at that time, it said it anticipated submitting an ESP application in 2016.

Fulcrum Point and Blue Castle said they will now work together to move the project from its current stage through the federal licensing process and towards reactor deployment, with SMR technology and equipment to be provided by Holtec International.

"Blue Castle's focus from the beginning has been to create exactly this kind of opportunity with a company like Fulcrum Point," the company's CEO, Aaron Tilton, said. "Over the past 19 years, Blue Castle has laid the groundwork to de-risk a site for the deployment of nuclear power, creating significant value for future energy development that can serve energy demand across Utah and the surrounding region, as well as potential on-site, behind-the-meter opportunities for advanced technology applications. We appreciate the collaborative effort with Emery County and the City of Green River to create high-value jobs and meaningful economic impact in rural Utah."

Utah initiatives

In 2024, Utah Governor Spencer Cox launched an initiative, Operation Gigawatt, to double Utah's power production over the next 10 years. In November last year, Cox unveiled a project in partnership with Hi Tech Solutions and Holtec International to site a manufacturing hub in Brigham City to produce parts for SMR-300 and other advanced nuclear technologies, as well as a workforce training centre, as part of a longer-term plan to deploy a fleet of SMR reactors in Utah and then across the Mountain West region.

Holtec's SMR-300 is a pressurised water reactor producing about 300 MW of electrical power or 1050 MW of thermal power for process applications. The company is planning to deploy two SMR-300 reactors at the Palisades Nuclear Generating Station site in Michigan, demonstrating viability for additional orders both domestically and abroad. The reactor is designed to be able to operate using air-cooled condensers, and this flexibility is an attractive feature in arid environments like Utah, where water resources are scarce.

"With Holtec's restart of Palisades Nuclear plant in Michigan ongoing, and the first Holtec SMR-300s, Pioneer 1 and 2, in the NRC licensing process and early site preparation, the work by our partners to acquire sites for next-of-kind deployment in Utah is paramount to our Mountain West expansion strategy as part of Operation Gigawatt," Holtec International President Rick Springman said. "Supply chain development follows reactor deployments, making the advancement of this project crucial to downstream supply chain investments in the state across the nuclear ecosystem."

The project is part of a broader portfolio of energy development projects being advanced by Fulcrum Point, which was formed by Hi Tech Solutions founder Chris Hayter, to develop nuclear power projects across the Mountain West.

"Fulcrum Point is stepping into this project as a true development partner to help move the Blue Castle Project from years of groundwork into the next phase of execution," Hayter said. "Blue Castle has done important work to position this site for success, and we now bring the technical, operational, and project development capabilities needed to help advance it through licensing, deployment planning, and eventual construction. This project has the potential to strengthen Utah's energy future, support rural economic growth, and deliver reliable power for decades to come."