Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
GE Vernova photo
But the company still has not established a presence in Estevan, where the first reactors are planned in this province
TOKYO – The model of small modular reactor SaskPower has chosen for development of its first nuclear power plant is gaining more attention worldwide. On March 14, GE Vernova GEV) and Hitachi, Ltd. announced they had have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities to deploy the BWRX-300 small modular reactor in Southeast Asia. The agreement was signed during the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial & Business Forum in Tokyo in the presence of U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Minister Ryosei Akazawa.
The two companies agree to collaborate through the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Hitachi GE Vernova Nuclear Energy joint ventures to identify commercial opportunities for the BWRX-300 in Southeast Asia. The collaboration will also explore opportunities to incorporate qualified Japanese suppliers and strengthen the SMR supply chain supporting future BWRX-300 deployment in the region.
“As more nations look to nuclear power to meet their energy security needs, GE Vernova and Hitachi look forward to continuing our long history of collaboration in support of the global nuclear industry,” said Roger Martella, Chief Corporate Officer, GE Vernova, in a release. “Our SMR technology can be a powerful tool for countries across Southeast Asia for generations to come.”
“Hitachi has continued to bring long-standing experience in nuclear technology, through our partnership with GE Vernova, and we are excited to do even more by exploring the deployment of the BWRX-300 in Southeast Asia,” said Yasunori Inada, Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Nuclear Energy Business Unit, Hitachi. “We aim to contribute to a sustainable energy future in the region by leveraging the capabilities of Hitachi and GE Vernova.”
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Momentum around the BWRX-300 continues to build globally, GE Vernova said in a release. The first BWRX-300 is under construction at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site in Canada, with completion expected by the end of the decade, which will make it the first small modular reactor in the Western world. Key components like the reactor pressure vessel are being manufactured, and site construction is progressing according to plan. A total of four SMRs are planned for the site.
“The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted and is reviewing Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) application to construct the first BWRX-300 in the U.S. at the utility’s Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. These developments, and others, underscore the momentum of the BWRX-300 as GE Vernova and Hitachi build on more than half a century of experience in the nuclear industry, combining their proven technologies and deep expertise to scale and deploy SMRs commercially to customers around the globe,” the release said. Other nations considering the BWRX-300 include Poland, which has expressed an interest in deploying around two dozen across six sites. Sweden is looking at five units, and Estonia is also considering building at least one.
In 2022 SaskPower chose the BWRX-300 for its SMR development. This past January, the Government of Saskatchewan also announced it is looking at choosing a large-scale, 1,000 megawatt class reactor for large scale deployment.
Estevan is the chosen location of Saskatchewan’s first reactors, with two sites under consideration. Those include Boundary and Rafferty Reservoirs. Site selection is expected soon. However, to date, GE Vernova Hitachi has not yet established a presence in Estevan, despite the fact currently published timelines by SaskPower call for a final decision to be made in 2029 and construction to start in 2030. That’s just three years, nine months and 14 days from now.
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