ONE Nuclear Energy is moving a planned small modular reactor project in Louisiana into technical and environmental evaluation, with Project Amberjack targeting up to 1 gigawatt of advanced nuclear capacity.
The project is being developed as a standalone, multi-unit nuclear campus. Moreover, ONE Nuclear states it has secured control of the site and completed preliminary work including nuclear siting analyses, constraints assessments and conceptual layouts.
Amberjack is still in an early development stage. However, the company has not selected the reactor technology or finalized the plant configuration. Those decisions will depend on further engineering, environmental studies, transmission analysis, commercial arrangements, financing and the federal licensing process.
Furthermore, the next phase will take the project from preliminary site work toward the studies needed for future engagement with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ONE Nuclear plans to conduct land, geotechnical and environmental field studies, alongside evaluations of cooling water, logistics, transmission and grid interconnection.
Also, the company is also planning to establish technology-neutral screening of available small modular reactor designs. That approach gives ONE Nuclear flexibility to evaluate different reactor technologies before committing to a specific system.
That distinction is important because Amberjack does not yet have approval from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The preliminary work also does not amount to a reactor license, environmental authorization or final engineering decision.
Instead, the company is building the technical and regulatory foundation needed to eventually seek those approvals.
Part of ONE Nuclear’s Wuder Louisiana Development Strategy
The planned facility is part of ONE Nuclear’s wider Louisiana development strategy, which includes nuclear, natural gas generation, solar and battery storage projects. The company is positioning Amberjack specifically around advanced nuclear generation and a staged development process
The Louisiana location could offer several advantages as the project develops. ONE Nuclear points to access to the Mississippi River, an established energy workforce, regional transportation infrastructure and proximity to a
If the project ultimately reaches its targeted capacity, Amberjack could provide up to 1 GW of nuclear generation from multiple reactor units. But the final capacity remains subject to technology selection, detailed engineering, regulatory review and financing.major transmission corridor.
Other Projects by ONE Nuclear in Louisiana
The project follows ONE Nuclear’s recent announcement of Project Cayman, a separate 2.88-GW energy project in Louisiana. The two developments form part of the company’s broader effort to build large-scale power infrastructure in the state.
For Amberjack, the immediate goal is more basic, to prove that the site, technology, grid connection and environmental conditions can support a licensable nuclear facility.
ONE Nuclear is targeting the next phase of technical studies and stakeholder engagement as it prepares for future federal regulatory discussions.
Lastly, such projects bring the need of advanced nuclear technology to develop nuclear energy to meet the power demands for data centers and grid security.
Factsheet: Project Amberjack
Project Name: Project Amberjack
Developer: ONE Nuclear Energy LLC (“ONE Nuclear”)
Location: Louisiana, USA
Project Type: Standalone, multi-unit Small Modular Reactor (SMR) campus
Target Generation Capacity: Up to 1 Gigawatt (1 GW)
Technology / Reactor Design: Undetermined (utilizing a technology-neutral screening process)
Current Project Stage: Early development (Technical & Environmental Evaluation)
Regulatory Status: Pre-NRC application preparation (No site approval or license granted yet)
Site Advantages: Mississippi River water access, energy workforce, logistics infrastructure, proximity to a major transmission corridor
Completed Work: Site control secured, initial nuclear siting and constraints analyses, assessment memoranda, conceptual layouts
Immediate Next Steps: Land, geotechnical, and environmental field studies; cooling water & logistics reviews; grid interconnection analysis; NRC pre-application preparation
Related Initiatives: Part of ONE Nuclear’s broader Louisiana strategy, alongside Project Cayman (2.88 GW) and integrated gas, solar, and battery projects
Project Team
ONE Nuclear Energy LLC (“ONE Nuclear”): The lead project developer responsible for developing, owning, and operating the SMR campus.
Hennessy Capital Investment Corp. VII: The public investment vehicle/SPAC backing ONE Nuclear, which approved a business combination transaction with ONE Nuclear.
Note: ONE Nuclear is maintaining a technology-neutral approach, meaning specific reactor vendor partners (such as Westinghouse, X-energy, TerraPower, GE Vernova, or Rolls-Royce SMR) have not yet been selected for this project.
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