GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and BWXT Canada enter agreement to support BWRX-300 design

TORONTO — GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and BWXT Canada Ltd. (BWXT Canada) have entered into a teaming agreement to cooperate on engineering and procurement to support the design, manufacturing and commercialization of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR).

Through the agreement, if the BWRX-300 is selected for deployment at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington Nuclear Generation Station, BWXT Canada could provide detailed engineering and design for manufacturability for BWRX-300 equipment and components and ultimately could supply certain key reactor components for the deployment of the BWRX-300 in Canada. The agreement builds on a Memorandum of Understanding that GEH and BWXT Canada signed in June 2020.

“This agreement with BWXT Canada is a significant milestone in our efforts to build a Canadian supply chain to advance the deployment of the BWRX-300 in Ontario,” said Jay Wileman, President & CEO, GEH. “The ability of BWXT Canada to manufacture these key reactor components could help establish Ontario as a global manufacturing hub for our highly engineered equipment.”

“We are pleased GEH recognizes that our unique engineering and manufacturing capabilities are readily adaptable to support deployment of the BWRX-300 in Canada,” said John MacQuarrie, President of BWXT Canada. “Entering into this relationship with GEH provides BWXT Canada with the opportunity to participate in the deployment of BWRX-300 SMRs around the world.”

The BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of GEH’s U.S. NRC-certified ESBWR.

By leveraging the existing ESBWR design certification, utilizing the licensed and proven GNF2 fuel design, and incorporating proven components and supply chain expertise, GEH believes the BWRX-300 can become the lowest-risk, most cost-competitive and quickest to market SMR.