Plant could be operational by late 2028 or early 2029.
Canadian utility Ontario Power Generation (OPG) expects to receive a construction permit by the end of 2024 for its pilot BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) plant at the existing Darlington nuclear station site, according to Sean Sextone, vice-president for advanced nuclear at GE Hitachi.
In an online interview with Power Engineering, Sextone described the OPG contract as a significant milestone for GE Hitachi. The company has chosen the BWRX-300 for its Darlington new nuclear project, making it the first commercial contract for an SMR in the US.
The latest project timeframe suggests that the first BWRX-300 plant should be operational by late 2028 or early 2029.
The BWRX-300, a 300-MW water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems, makes use of the design and licensing basis of GE Hitachi’s Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor, or ESBWR.
The company has said that significant design simplification meant the BWRX-300 would require up to 60% less capital cost per MW when compared to other water-cooled SMR designs or existing large nuclear reactor designs.
One of the key advantages of the BWRX 300, said Sextone, is its reliance on existing components and fuel. GE Hitachi used its experience and expertise with boiling water reactors to develop a plant that was 95% based on proven technology.
This eliminates the need for licensing new fuel and concerns about the supply chain, providing a significant advantage in terms of scalability and making it easier for GE Hitachi to deploy the BWRX 300 in the race to commercialise SMRs.
