Holtec International has submitted a letter to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) indicating that it has completed the necessary licensing activities to transition the Palisades NPP from decommissioning to operational status, and proposing 25th August for the transition.
The single-unit 800 MWe pressurised water reactor on the shores of Lake Michigan began commercial operation in 1971. In 2016 operator Entergy announced plans to close the plant. In 2021 NRC approved transfer of the licence from Entergy to Holtec in preparation for its decommissioning.
The reactor was removed from service by Entergy in May 2022, and defueled, and its sale to Holtec completed in June 2022. However, Holtec then announced that it was applying for federal funding to allow restart of the plant. Starting in late 2023, Holtec filed several licensing requests that, if approved, could return the plant to operational status.
To restart the plant, Holtec needs NRC approval to restore the licensing basis of the plant to operational status; return plant components to a status that supports safe operation; and make any upgrades necessary to meet the proposed operational licensing basis. NRC has set up a dedicated Palisades Nuclear Plant Restart Panel to oversee this effort. NRC said it is still reviewing Holtec’s licensing actions.
When it was taken out of service, Palisades was licensed to operate until 2031. In 2024, Holtec notified NRC that it intends to apply for a second, or subsequent, licence renewal for the plant during the first quarter of 2026. This would extend the plant’s operating period by a further 20 years, to 2051.
