After losing the major federal energy grant to help build a small modular nuclear reactor at the Callaway Energy Center, Westinghouse and Ameren Missouri plan to compete for another round of federal SMR grants.
Doc Kritzer, Callaway County Western District Commissioner, said he is disappointed that Ameren Missouri and Westinghouse did not receive the initial major grant but he is pleased they are continuing to pursue another available federal grant.
The Obama Administration Tuesday afternoon announced it was awarding the major small modular nuclear reactor grant to a project in Tennessee led by Babcock & Wilcox Corporation in partnership with the federal-government-owned Tennessee Valley Authority and Bechtel Corporation. At the same time, the Administration announced another round of federal SMR grants will be awarded.
The dollar amount of the federal grant for the Tennessee project was not announced and the size of additional grants also was not disclosed. The maximum grant indicated earlier would have been $452 million but Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Tuesday the total will be negotiated between the Energy Department and Babcock & Wilcox (B&W). He noted the project requires a matching investment by the grant recipient for every dollar of federal funds involved.