Black & Veatch helps DTE Energy gain NRC approval for Michigan plant

DTE Energy received Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval, with the help of Black & Veatch’s nuclear power team, for the construction and operation of a new reactor at the Fermi Unit 2 nuclear power plant in Newport, Michigan, Black & Veatch said  Wednesday.

DTE does not have immediate plans to begin construction and has not committed to building the unit, but it has gone through the licensing process to keep its options open, Black & Veatch said. Fermi Unit 2, in operation since 1988, is a 1,170 megawatt reactor that can serve approximately 1 million people.

“DTE is well-positioned to deliver safe, reliable power to meet the needs of its customers,”  Black & Veatch’s Energy Business President and CEO Dean Oskvig said. “Nuclear energy is an important part of DTE’s balanced energy portfolio. This license approval is key in delivering a potential generation option to meet future electric demand.”

The potential Fermi Unit 3 reactor is only the fifth to gain an NRC combined license. Throughout the six-year process, Black & Veatch provided support in the form of safety analyses, system descriptions and environmental impact studies.