Holtec announced in September 2026 that it has advanced component fabrication for the Holtec Integrated Test (HI-TEST) facility at Idaho National Laboratory, as reported by energiesmedia.com. The company stated this progress marks a transition from design work to physical construction and assembly for the site dedicated to testing its SMR-300 pressurized water reactor.
What it means
The HI-TEST facility is designed to replicate accident scenarios to generate empirical data for regulatory submissions. Holtec intends to use this data to support the licensing dossier for the SMR-300 with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The company also plans to utilize the test results to support future power uprating of SMR-300 units. Steam generators are identified as critical components and key targets for testing within the facility.
The SMR-300 is a small modular reactor designed for scalable deployment and factory assembly, with the “300” referring to its approximate electrical output in megawatts. Idaho National Laboratory serves as the United States’ primary nuclear energy research facility. The development follows earlier regulatory milestones in the sector, such as NuScale receiving NRC design certification for its VOYGR reactor in 2022. This physical construction phase represents a concrete step toward validating the reactor’s safety and performance characteristics before commercial deployment.
Key facts
- Holtec announced advancement of component fabrication for HI-TEST in September 2026.
- The facility is located at Idaho National Laboratory.
- HI-TEST stands for Holtec Integrated Test facility.
- The site is dedicated to testing the SMR-300 pressurized water reactor.
- Steam generators are identified as critical components for testing.
- Data generated will support NRC licensing submissions and future power uprating.
- The SMR-300 has an approximate electrical output of 300 megawatts.
Source: energiesmedia.com