Blue Energy and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (NYSE:GEV) have agreed to advance development of a proposed 2.5-gigawatt gas-and-nuclear power facility in Victoria, Texas, moving the project into its next phase of engineering, licensing and safety work. The planned development would combine GE Vernova’s gas turbine technology with small modular nuclear reactors to supply large-scale power demand, including a nearby data centre.
Agreement advances engineering and licensing work
The latest agreement covers engineering design, regulatory licensing and safety analysis required to progress the Victoria project towards a potential construction decision.
A final investment decision is currently targeted for 2027, meaning the project remains subject to further technical, regulatory and financial milestones before full development proceeds.
The proposed facility would combine GE Vernova’s 7HA.02 gas turbines with GE Vernova Hitachi’s BWRX-300 small modular reactor technology.
By integrating gas generation with nuclear capacity, Blue Energy aims to establish a large-scale power source capable of supporting growing electricity requirements in Texas.
Data centre could receive 1 GW from 2030
Under the current development plan, Blue Energy expects the project’s first phase to use two GE Vernova gas turbines to provide approximately 1 gigawatt of electricity.
That capacity is expected to begin supplying a nearby data centre from 2030.
The gas-fired phase would provide substantial generation capacity before the planned nuclear portion of the development becomes operational.
Blue Energy then intends to add approximately 1.5 gigawatts of nuclear generation beginning in 2032.
The nuclear phase could include as many as five BWRX-300 small modular reactors, bringing the project’s combined planned capacity to approximately 2.5 gigawatts.
GE Vernova combines gas turbines with SMR technology
The project brings together two of GE Vernova’s major power-generation technologies as electricity demand from data centres and other energy-intensive infrastructure continues to increase.
Blue Energy CEO Jake Jurewicz said the agreement allows the company to “confidently move forward to build our nuclear energy production line.”
Eric Gray, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power segment, said the collaboration “combines GE Vernova’s flagship HA gas turbine technology with GE Vernova Hitachi’s advanced nuclear SMR technology.”
The structure could allow the development to begin supplying electricity through gas generation before gradually introducing nuclear capacity as the SMRs are completed.
BWRX-300 deployment progresses in Canada
The Texas project would build on progress already being made with the BWRX-300 technology elsewhere in North America.
The first BWRX-300 unit is currently under construction at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site in Canada.
Completion of that reactor is expected by the end of the decade, potentially providing an important reference project for subsequent BWRX-300 deployments.
Experience gained through the Canadian development could therefore play a role in supporting engineering, licensing and construction work for future installations, including the proposed Victoria facility.
Texas project targets growing power demand
The proposed development comes as rapidly expanding data centre infrastructure increases demand for large quantities of reliable electricity in the United States.
Blue Energy’s strategy would initially use gas turbines to provide significant capacity from 2030 before adding nuclear generation from 2032, potentially combining near-term generation availability with longer-term nuclear power.
For GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV), the collaboration also represents an opportunity to deploy both its established gas turbine equipment and emerging SMR technology within a single large-scale project.
With a final investment decision expected in 2027, the next stage will focus on completing the engineering, licensing and safety work required to determine whether the 2.5-gigawatt Victoria development moves into construction.