Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
This graphical rendering of a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 is the first new graphic like this to be released in some time. Notably, it only shows one reactor at the site, but up to four are being considered, including other designs from different reactor manufacturers. Tennessee Valley Authority.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ― In the space two weeks, two major announcements have been made regarding the deployment of the same small modular reactor (SMR) SaskPower is considering building near Estevan.
On May 8, Ontario Power Generation gave the green light to build four GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactors, with construction having already started. On May 20, the Tennessee Valley Authority announced Tuesday that it is the first utility in the U.S. to submit a construction permit application (CPA) for the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) small modular reactor (SMR) BWRX-300 technology to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. GVH was formerly GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, or GEH.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is the agency that issues licenses for constructing, operating and decommissioning nuclear power plants in the United States.
According to the TVA, “This CPA is TVA’s next step in pursuing an SMR at its Clinch River site, near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and establishing America’s energy dominance to power artificial intelligence, quantum computing and advanced manufacturing.”
- 0094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 20250094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 2025
- 0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
- 0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
“This is a significant milestone for TVA, our region and our nation because we are accelerating the development of new nuclear technology, its supply chain and delivery model to unleash American energy. TVA has put in the work to advance the design and develop the first application for the BWRX-300 technology, creating a path for other utilities who choose to build the same technology,” Don Moul, TVA President and CEO, said. “TVA looks forward to working with the Administration to accelerate advanced nuclear technologies that are key to our nation’s energy security. We believe deploying new nuclear is essential to providing American families and businesses affordable and abundant electricity for decades to come.”
Don Moul, TVA President and CEO, signs the construction permit application. TVA.
SMRs are advanced reactors with a smaller and more modular design than the nuclear technology that powers many U.S. states today. However, All existing utility-scale reactors in Canada use a different technology, the Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) designed CANDU, or CANadian Deuterium Uranium reactor. So while the underlying design, a boiling water reactor, is commonplace in the U.S. and other places around the world, it is new to Canada.
UPDATE: TVA filed the construction permit application for one reactor, but the site is capable of hosting four units, according to an email from TVA media relations spokesperson Scott Fiedler on May 22.
However, TVA senior vice president for the Clinch River project Bob Deacy was quoted in April speaking of four reactors, the same number Ontario is building. And in the media package, a recording of Moul spoke of the possibility of deploying different types of reactors at the site. “We are not tied to just one type of design. We have the ability to put Gen IV reactors there, or other small modular reactor types. And we have the space and capability to do it.”
(Indeed, another reactor is being built nearby by Kairos Power of an entirely different design – a low power demonstration reactor known as Hermes that’s categorized as “Gen IV”.)
Ontario Power Generation said their four-reactor BWRX-300 project cost is expected to be C$20.9 billion, which is almost exactly equal to Saskatchewan’s entire provincial budget for 2025-26.
UPDATE: In an email, Fielder said, “TVA does not currently have a cost estimate ready to share specifically for a single BWRX-300 unit at Clinch River as we continue to refine TVA’s initial estimate. We believe costs will be comparative to OPG considering differences attributed to contingency, escalation and financing costs. As design development matures and we eliminate design and regulator risks, we can improve and adjust estimates and see costs come down.”
Four reactors per site seems to be a common thread, as Poland is working on building up to six sites, each with four reactors (see below).
- 0094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 20250094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 2025
- 0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
- 0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
Clinch River site
The Clinch River site is significant in that it was originally planned back in the 1970s to be the site of a fast-breeder reactor, using plutonium as a fuel. The site was previously licensed for a nuclear reactor. Construction started but it was never completed. That reactor project was cancelled in 1983 and never built, although some components for it were. The location is just 11 kilometres from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, one of the key sites of the Manhattan Project which developed the atomic bomb.
“TVA is pursuing the BWRX-300 technology, with the potential benefits of enhancing safety, making them easier to replicate and more efficient. Their smaller footprint means they can possibly be built more quickly, are easier to operate and better fit into the landscape due to their compact size,” the TVA said
Audio of Moul speaking about Clinch River Site.
Moul noted that America must lead the commercialization of affordable and abundant nuclear energy. “TVA has the best path to deploying a commercial BWRX-300 SMR in the U.S. because the agency holds the nation’s first and only early site permit for SMRs from the NRC at its Clinch River site. In 2023, TVA joined a global collaboration to speed up the design and development of the BWRX-300 technology. Now, TVA is leading a strong coalition of industry partners in submitting an application for an $800 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to accelerate BWRX-300 development and seeking an $8 million DOE grant to support the NRC license review cost. TVA has already completed the Environmental Report for the Clinch River site and submitted it to the NRC. Preliminary SMR site preparation could begin as soon as 2026,” the press release said.
In a post on LinkedIn, Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce said, “This is a sign of confidence as Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) follows Ontario’s leadership as we build the first Small Modular Reactor in the G7.
“Two of North America’s leading nuclear utilities Ontario Power Generation and TVA are benefiting from a pioneering partnership to develop and build GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s advanced nuclear technology — essential to our clean energy future for North America and the world.”
- 0094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 20250094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 2025
- 0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
- 0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
Poland going all out on nuclear, including this model of SMR
Notably in the background material provided by TVA, there was a listing of companies in the “technology collaboration.” That listing included GE Verona-Hitachi, TVA, Ontario Power Generation and Poland’s Orlen Synthos Green Energy, which is “Participating in the BWRX-300 SMR design being evaluated for deployment in Poland. Orlen Synthos Green Energy and TVA have a collaboration agreement that facilitates sharing of experiences that could reduce the financial risks of innovating new technology.”
Poland is reportedly considering deploying 24 of these reactor units across up to six sites, according to World Nuclear News. Poland is also working on developing large scale Westinghouse AP1000 reactors, each capable of 1,200 megawatts of power generation. The first of three AP1000 units is expected to enter commercial operation in 2033, for a total project cost of US$49 billion. (Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has talked about the possibility of building similar scale reactors in this province.) It is also working on another plant using two South Korean-supplied APR1400 units.
Poland has increasingly turned its eye to nuclear power since the full-scale invasion of its neighbour, Ukraine, by Russia in February, 2022.
- 0094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 20250094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 2025
- 0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
- 0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
Crown Investments Corporation (and SaskPower) Minister Jeremy Harrison, right. On the far left was SaskPower president and CEO Rupen Pandya. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Saskatchewan reaction
Notable in its absence from that technology collaboration list was SaskPower, which first announced its intention to pursue this model of SMR three years ago. A final investment decision isn’t expected until late 2029, but two sites near Estevan are under consideration, one at Boundary Dam Reservoir and the other on Rafferty Dam Reservoir.
As for the Saskatchewan response, Minister of Crown Investments Corporation (CIC) and Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison is currently leading a delegation in Poland, attending the World Nuclear Supply Chain Conference. His office said in an email on May 21, “The mission will deepen Saskatchewan’s ties with international nuclear industry stakeholders and showcase the province’s advantages in enhancing energy security around the world.”
Rupen Pandya, president and CEO of both SaskPower and its new subsidiary SaskNuclear said by email, “We welcome this step forward for Tennessee Valley Authority’s SMR project, which will employ the BWRX-300 reactor. Saskatchewan will continue to benefit from the experience of operators such as TVA and Ontario Power Generation, reducing first-of-a-kind risk and providing useful lessons on how to achieve efficiencies and lower costs. Collaboration with corporations here in Canada and abroad are vital as we approach our own SMR project.”
- 0094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 20250094 Fast Trucking Outlaw Buckers 2025
- 0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig0053 Kingston Midstream Westspur Alameda Click Before You Dig
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs0086 Sask Gov Oil and Gas Incentive Programs
- 0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online0084 EMP Metals Pipeline Online
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office0055 Smart Power Be Smart with your Power office
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0006 JK Junior
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001