Ontario’s nuclear supply chain secures major investment
by CM Staff
Under the agreement, BWXT could manufacture a wide range of products including reactor pressure vessels, reactor internals, fuel handling systems and other key components.
CAMBRIDGE – The Ontario government is trying to build Ontario by attracting jobs and investment, including in the nuclear supply chain. On Dec. 15, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), BWXT Canada Ltd. (BWXT Canada) and Synthos Green Energy (SGE) announced their intention for BWXT Canada to build key components, here in Ontario, for small modular reactors (SMRs) for use in Poland. This agreement represents approximately $1 billion in contracts for BWXT Canada and marks the first major export opportunity of this Made-in-Ontario technology.
“With the recent announcement of Canada’s first grid-scale SMR at the Darlington site Ontario is leading the way in new nuclear technologies that represent tremendous economic and environmental opportunities for our province and all of Canada,” said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. “The agreement between GEH, BWXT Canada and SGE is proof that the world is watching Ontario when it comes to SMRs. Our strong nuclear supply chain and talented workforce are already paying dividends and cementing our reputation as a global hub for SMR expertise.”
Under the agreement, BWXT could manufacture a wide range of products including reactor pressure vessels, reactor internals, fuel handling systems and other key components. This would purportedly support hundreds of jobs at BWXT’s Ontario facilities for a period of ten years while providing Poland with a cutting-edge source of reliable and emission-free technology.
“Ontario’s innovation ecosystem and strong talent pool make our province ripe for developing the energy and cleantech solutions of the future,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “We congratulate GEH, BWXT Canada and SGE on this exciting new partnership which would lead to the creation of good, local jobs for Ontario workers and the families that rely on them.”
GEH was recently named Ontario Power Generation’s technology development partner to deploy a BWRX-300 SMR at their Darlington new nuclear site, which is expected to be completed as early as 2028. In November 2021, GEH and BWXT Canada announced their agreement to cooperate on engineering and manufacturing for BWRX-300 equipment and components.
