ONE Nuclear Advances Small Modular Reactor Project in Louisiana Through Technical and Environmental Assessment

[Original article]

ONE Nuclear Energy is advancing its small modular reactor project in Louisiana, known as Amberjack, into the technical and environmental assessment phase, with the aim of achieving up to 1GW of advanced nuclear capacity. The project will be developed as an independent multi-unit nuclear campus. ONE Nuclear stated that it has secured control of the site and completed preliminary work, including nuclear siting analysis, constraint assessment, and conceptual layout. Amberjack is currently in the early development stage, and the company has not yet selected a reactor technology or determined the power plant configuration, decisions that will depend on further engineering, environmental studies, transmission analysis, commercial arrangements, financing, and federal licensing processes.

The next phase will advance the project from preliminary site work to studies needed for future engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Project Technical and Environmental Assessment

ONE Nuclear plans to conduct land, geotechnical, and environmental field studies, and to evaluate cooling water, logistics, transmission, and grid interconnection. The company also plans to perform a technology-neutral screening of existing small modular reactor designs, an approach that allows ONE Nuclear to flexibly evaluate different reactor technologies before committing to a specific system. ONE Nuclear's Chief Development Officer, Chris Hansmeyer, stated, "Amberjack is the clearest manifestation of why ONE Nuclear was founded."

"This is not a conceptual map marker, but a controlled site with preliminary site work completed, with a clear path into engineering, community engagement, and federal licensing."

Nuclear Project Development Strategy

This distinction is important because Amberjack has not yet received approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The preliminary work also does not equate to reactor licensing, environmental authorization, or final engineering decisions. Instead, the company is laying the technical and regulatory groundwork to eventually seek these approvals. The planned facility is part of ONE Nuclear's broader Louisiana development strategy, which includes nuclear energy, natural gas generation, solar, and battery storage projects. The company specifically positions Amberjack around advanced nuclear power generation and a phased development process.

As the project progresses, Louisiana's location may offer several advantages. ONE Nuclear points out that the site is close to the Mississippi River, has an established energy workforce, regional transportation infrastructure, and proximity to major transmission corridors. The project also comes at a time when Louisiana is pushing to expand its nuclear energy industry. The state's nuclear strategy includes advanced reactor deployment, nuclear manufacturing, workforce development, and energy security. If the project ultimately reaches its target capacity, Amberjack could provide up to 1GW of nuclear power from multiple reactor units, but the final capacity will still depend on technology choice, detailed engineering, regulatory review, and financing.

The project is a continuation of ONE Nuclear's recently announced Cayman project, an independent 2.88GW energy project also located in Louisiana. Both development projects are part of the company's broader effort to establish large-scale power generation infrastructure in the state. For Amberjack, the current goals are more fundamental: to prove that the site, technology, grid connection, and environmental conditions can support a licensable nuclear facility. ONE Nuclear's next phase, focused on technical research and stakeholder engagement, is preparing for future federal regulatory discussions.

Project	Specifications
Expected nuclear capacity	Up to 1GW
Cayman project capacity	2.88GW

Potential Impact and Challenges of the Amberjack Project

The Amberjack project marks an important step for ONE Nuclear in advancing small modular reactor technology. The project is not only a key component of the company's expansion of the nuclear energy industry in Louisiana but also reflects the current demand for clean energy. Louisiana's geographical advantages and its supportive energy policies provide the project with additional support during the technical and environmental assessment phase. However, the project still needs to overcome challenges such as regulatory review and financing to truly realize its potential for nuclear power generation.