Blue Energy, a startup founded by MIT alumnus Jake Jurewicz, is pursuing a new approach to nuclear power plant construction by manufacturing large reactor components at shipyards and transporting them to project sites for final assembly. The company aims to reduce construction delays, control costs and make nuclear energy projects easier to finance.
The approach addresses a longstanding challenge for the nuclear industry: large power plants can take years longer than expected to complete and frequently exceed their original budgets. Blue Energy believes existing industrial manufacturing infrastructure could help change how these facilities are built.
Bringing Shipyard Manufacturing to Nuclear Energy
Instead of assembling an entire nuclear facility at its final location, Blue Energy plans to prefabricate large sections of its plants in controlled shipyard environments. These sections, called “Blue Blocks,” are designed to include mechanical and electrical systems, plumbing and other components needed for installation.
The prefabricated modules can weigh approximately 1,500 tons and are intended to be transported by barge to the construction site. By using shipyards that already have specialized equipment, established manufacturing processes and skilled workers, the company hopes to reduce uncertainty and improve construction efficiency.
Blue Energy's strategy draws on techniques used in offshore oil and gas and wind infrastructure, where large structures are manufactured before being transported for installation.
A Gas-to-Nuclear Model to Reduce Financial Risk
Blue Energy is also developing a gas-to-nuclear approach designed to bring a project online in stages. Rather than waiting until nuclear reactors are ready to operate, a facility can initially generate electricity using natural gas turbines before transitioning to nuclear power.
The company says this structure could help projects begin generating revenue earlier and potentially lower financing risks during construction.
Its proposed nuclear facilities will use small modular light-water reactors supplied by GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy. The strategy combines established reactor technology with a different approach to manufacturing, construction and project financing.
Texas Project Targets Gigawatt-Scale Power Generation
Blue Energy's first planned project is a 2.5-gigawatt hybrid power plant in Victoria, Texas. The company has an agreement with GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy for the project and has received regulatory approval for its gas-to-nuclear approach.
According to MIT News, the project is planned to begin producing electricity in 2030, initially using two gas turbines with a combined capacity of 1 gigawatt. Nuclear capacity of up to 1.5 gigawatts is expected to be added from as many as five small modular reactors beginning in 2032.
Blue Energy submitted the first part of its application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for construction of the Texas project in September 2026. The proposed timeline remains subject to the necessary regulatory and project milestones.
Can the Approach Make Nuclear Power More Affordable?
Blue Energy believes modular manufacturing could help reduce construction timelines to approximately 36 months, compared with the decade or more that some traditional nuclear projects have required.
The company projects that electricity infrastructure from later projects could cost around $5,000 per kilowatt. These are company projections rather than independently verified results, and the actual cost will depend on execution, financing, regulatory requirements and site-specific conditions.
Manufacturing components in controlled environments could improve quality control and reduce delays caused by labor shortages, weather and complex on-site coordination. The gas-to-nuclear model may also help address a major financing challenge: investors and utilities are often reluctant to bear the risk of substantial construction overruns.
Implications for the Clean Energy Industry
If successful, Blue Energy's model could create opportunities to reuse existing industrial capabilities for nuclear infrastructure. Shipyards and fabrication facilities could play a larger role in producing standardized power plant components, potentially making projects more repeatable.
Nuclear power offers a source of electricity that can operate independently of weather conditions and complement variable renewable energy sources. New nuclear capacity could also help meet rising electricity demand from industrial facilities and data centers.
However, scaling the model will require reliable manufacturing processes, regulatory compliance, skilled labor, supply-chain capacity and successful delivery of the first projects. The proposed cost and timeline benefits will need to be demonstrated in practice.
Conclusion
Blue Energy is seeking to change nuclear power construction by combining shipyard manufacturing, prefabricated modules and a staged gas-to-nuclear development model. Its planned Texas project will be an important test of whether these methods can reduce costs and accelerate deployment. If the approach delivers on its targets, it could offer a new pathway for expanding reliable, low-carbon electricity infrastructure.
