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NeuVentus Receives Storage Permits for its Texas Reliability Underground (TRU) Hub Salt Cavern Storage Project

LCG, April 4, 2025--NeuVentus, LLC ("NeuVentus") announced this week the receipt of a final order from the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) that grants a subsidiary of NeuVentus authority to create and operate 12 salt caverns for storage of a variety of gases (including natural gas and hydrogen) and liquids at its Texas Reliability Underground Hub ("TRU Hub") salt cavern storage project located in Liberty County, Texas.

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X-energy and Dow Submit Application to the NRC to Construct an Advanced Nuclear Project in Texas

LCG, March 31, 2025--Dow and X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC ("X-energy") today announced the submission of a construction permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ("NRC") for a proposed advanced nuclear project in Seadrift, Texas. The proposed advanced small modular reactor ("SMR") project could begin construction later this decade and commence operations early next decade.

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Industry News

NRC Asks Nuclear Plant Operators to Check Cooling Nozzles

LCG, Aug. 6, 2001-- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Friday issued a bulletin seeking information from several nuclear power licensees regarding the structural integrity of cooling nozzles which penetrate the reactor pressure vessel of pressurized water reactors.

Recent discoveries of cracked and leaking nozzles at two reactors prompted the request, the NRC said, because they have raised concerns about the structural integrity of reactor penetration nozzles inthe top of reactor pressure vessels at pressurized water reactors throughout the industry.

It's the direction the cracks go that has the agency concerned. During refueling outage inspections, some nozzles have been found with lengthwise cracks. These were not considered a safety problem and the nozzles were replaced during the outages. Earlier this year, however, cracks that went part way around the nozzles were found at the two reactors.

In addition to providing coolant to maintain the reactor coolant system pressure boundary, the nozzles also serve as guides for control rods which pass through them at the top of a reactor vessel head. The control rods are moved in and out of the bundles of fuel rods to regulate the level of a reactor's output.

The NRC said "cracking of the control rod drive mechanism nozzles represent a degradation of the primary reactor coolant system boundary, and hence, is potentially safety significant."

The agency said it is requesting information from pressurized water reactor licensees to determine whether current inspection practices are adequate and whether any additional regulatory response by the agency is necessary.

The bulletin requires that pressurized water reactor operators submit a written response indicatingwhether the requested information will be submitted within the required 30-day time period. NRClicensees unable to satisfy this requirement will have to submit a written description of any alternativecourse of action they propose to take, including the basis for its acceptability.

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