ONE Nuclear says it has site control for Project Amberjack and is moving the proposed Louisiana small modular reactor campus into technical and environmental evaluation, but the project has not received NRC approval and its final capacity, reactor technology and plant configuration remain under development.
Published by Allstream Insiders
Allstream Insiders Summary
ONE Nuclear Energy is advancing Project Amberjack, a proposed multi-unit small modular reactor campus in Louisiana targeting up to 1 gigawatt of advanced nuclear generation capacity. The company said it has achieved site control and completed preliminary nuclear siting, constraints and conceptual-layout work, allowing the project to move from portfolio-level screening into a site-specific development program.
The next phase is expected to include land, geotechnical and environmental field studies; cooling-water and logistics evaluations; transmission and interconnection analysis; vendor-neutral SMR technology screening; and preparation for engagement with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other agencies.
Project Amberjack remains a development-stage proposal. ONE Nuclear expressly stated that its preliminary work does not constitute NRC site approval, a reactor license, environmental authorization or a final engineering determination. The company also has not selected a reactor technology or announced a capital budget, construction decision, commercial-operation target or power customer.
Project Amberjack Development Tracker
| Project item | Company-reported detail | Current status |
|---|---|---|
| Project | Project Amberjack | Site-specific development |
| Location | Louisiana; exact site and parish not identified in the announcement | ONE Nuclear reports site control |
| Generation concept | Standalone, scalable, multi-unit small modular reactor campus | Proposed configuration |
| Target capacity | Up to 1 GW of advanced nuclear generation | Subject to engineering, review, commercial arrangements, financing and licensing |
| Reactor technology | No technology or vendor selected | Vendor-neutral screening planned |
| Regulatory status | No NRC site approval, reactor license or environmental authorization announced | Pre-application readiness work planned |
What is Project Amberjack?
Project Amberjack is ONE Nuclear’s proposed Louisiana campus for multiple small modular reactors, with a target of up to 1 GW of total advanced nuclear generation capacity. The company describes the project as standalone and scalable, meaning its disclosed concept is not presented as a nuclear component of the separately announced Project Cayman development.
ONE Nuclear said Amberjack’s ultimate capacity, reactor technology and plant configuration will depend on technology selection, detailed engineering, environmental review, transmission studies, commercial arrangements, financing and the federal licensing process. The 1-GW figure therefore represents the upper end of the company’s current development target, not approved or operating capacity.
The company has not publicly identified Amberjack’s exact site or parish. It said the project location has Mississippi River access, regional transportation infrastructure, proximity to a major transmission corridor and access to an established energy workforce.
What work has ONE Nuclear completed?
ONE Nuclear reported completing initial nuclear siting and constraints analyses, supporting assessment memoranda, siting screens and conceptual layouts for a dedicated SMR campus. The company said that work provides a basis for more detailed site-specific evaluation.
These activities are preliminary. They do not establish that the location is acceptable to the NRC, that an environmental review has been completed, or that the proposed plant can proceed to construction. ONE Nuclear has described a staged development process leading toward future regulatory engagement and, eventually, a notice-to-proceed decision.
What happens during Project Amberjack’s next phase?
The announced next phase focuses on developing the technical and environmental information needed to evaluate the site and prepare for NRC pre-application engagement. ONE Nuclear identified the following planned work:
- Comprehensive land and geotechnical field studies
- Environmental field studies
- Cooling-water evaluations
- Site logistics evaluations
- Transmission and interconnection analysis
- Vendor-neutral SMR technology screening
- Local and state stakeholder engagement
- Regulatory planning for future NRC and agency engagement
The announcement identifies these as development activities. It does not name engineering firms, environmental consultants, reactor suppliers, construction contractors or transmission partners assigned to Amberjack.
How does Amberjack relate to Project Cayman?
ONE Nuclear presents Amberjack and Cayman as separate projects within its broader Louisiana development platform. Amberjack is the company’s advanced nuclear project, while Project Cayman was announced as a proposed 2.88-GW natural gas plant, a 700-MW/2.88-GWh battery energy storage system and a co-located data center campus.
The Amberjack announcement does not state that the two projects share a site, customer, interconnection, construction schedule or commercial agreement. It also does not add an SMR to the disclosed Project Cayman configuration.
Allstream perspective: development studies define the near-term opportunity
For engineering, environmental and nuclear-sector suppliers, Amberjack’s immediate significance is the transition into a defined site-evaluation and regulatory-planning program. The company has identified specific categories of technical work expected during the next phase, including geotechnical, environmental, cooling-water, logistics, transmission and technology-screening activities.
If Amberjack progresses through technology selection, licensing, financing and a future construction decision, the project could eventually require broader nuclear engineering, specialized manufacturing, civil construction, cooling systems, electrical infrastructure, controls, security and workforce support. Those later categories are Allstream analysis based on the proposed multi-unit SMR configuration. They are not announced solicitations, bid packages or contractor awards, and the September 8 announcement does not confirm that construction will proceed.
