Wilmington-headquartered GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy has joined a coalition of utility companies and supply chain firms working to accelerate the deployment of its BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) in the U.S.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, which operates as GE Vernova’s nuclear energy business, announced the coalition
in a news release late last week. Led by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the group recently applied for $800 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Generation III+ SMR program, which aims to fund projects that build and deploy new nuclear reactors and address gaps in the domestic nuclear industry.
“Nuclear power has a key role to play in reaching a cleaner and more secure energy future,” GE Vernova’s CEO Scott Strazik, wrote in the release. “Funding from this grant would play a critical role in the path forward, and we look forward to working with TVA and this strong team of utility and supply chain partners to accelerate the roll-out of small modular reactors in the United States.”
Other coalition members include, among others, Duke Energy, engineering and construction firm Bechtel, nuclear component and fuel supplier BWX Technologies, the Electric Power Research Institute, the state of Tennessee and Indiana Michigan Power, an American Electric Power company.
For years, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy has been working to deploy its BWRX-300 design, which is based on its legacy boiling water reactor models. As GE Hitachi’s first SMR, the design uses fewer materials than older reactors and aims to be more cost- and energy-efficient.
The first
BWRX-300 SMR is set to be deployed at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site near Toronto. Early site preparation work has been completed on the project with construction of the first unit expected to start later this year and commercial operations beginning by the end of 2029, according to the release. A total of four units are planned for the site.
Craig Ranson, president and CEO of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy,
told the Business Journal in September that supporting the design and installation of the first BWRX-300 reactor is one of his top near-term goals for the company.
Last week's release stated that TVA has selected the BWRX-300 SMR for potential deployment at the Clinch River site near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. If awarded the Department of Energy funding, TVA plans to accelerate the construction of the first SMR at the site by two years with commercial operation expected in 2033.
According to the release, Duke Energy has also agreed to invest in activities to advance the standard design and licensing of the BWRX-300 SMR technology, and American Electric Power has selected the BWRX-300 for potential deployment at the Indiana Michigan Power Rockport Plant in Spencer County, Indiana, pending approval of the Department of Energy funding request.
“On the heels of the significant progress that is occurring with the deployment of the first BWRX-300 at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site," Maví Zingoni, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power businesses, wrote in the release, "these announcements signify the growing confidence the industry has in our SMR technology.”