GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and an Estonia-based firm have signed an agreement that could potentially lead to the construction of GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 small modular reactor design.
The companies will also review siting requirements and assess nuclear regulatory requirements of building the GE Hitachi-engineered model.
GEH is a provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services and is made up of a global nuclear alliance created by GE and Hitachi.
Most of the engineering work for the BWRX-300 has taken place at GE Hitachi headquarters in Wilmington, said Jon Allen, spokesman for GE Hitachi, in an email. “This work will continue here as we commercialize this technology,” he said.
The BWRX-3000 is a 300 MWe (megawatt electric) water-cooled, natural circulation small modular reactor with passive safety systems, according to the release. It leverages the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) design, which has been certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
“Estonia needs to consider new generation small nuclear technology to maintain energy independence and achieve climate neutrality,” said Kalev Kallemets, CEO of Fermi Energia, in the release. “Boiling water reactors have been proven in the Nordics to be safe, economic and reliable providers of carbon-free energy for decades and the design of the BWRX-300 makes it investible and highly competitive technology.”
“Our BWRX-300 small modular reactor is breakthrough technology that is designed to be cost-competitive with gas and renewables and we think it represents an ideal solution for Estonia’s carbon-free energy needs,” Jon Ball, executive vice president of nuclear plant projects for GE Hitachi, said in the release. “We look forward to working with Fermi Energia to highlight the technical capabilities, safety features and cost benefits of this innovative reactor technology.”
(Source: GE Hitachi)