GEH Submitted GDA Application For BWRX-300 SMR In The UK

GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH, ENS Corporate Member) last week announced that it has submitted a Generic Design Assessment (GDA) entry application for the BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The GDA process allows UK regulators to assess the standards of safety, security and environmental protection of new nuclear power plant designs.

GEH was supported in preparation of the GDA entry application by Jacobs UK, which has supported licensing applications for new nuclear power plant projects in the UK since 2007, drawing on its deep understanding of the GDA process and site-specific regulatory requirements.

The BWRX-300 is a 300 MW water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems. It produces no carbon during operation and has been designed to achieve construction and operating costs that are substantially lower than traditional nuclear power generation technologies.

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.

Read the full GEH Press Release.

The global interest in the BWRX-300 is significantly growing.

In addition to the UK, also Canada and Poland have already submitted applications to the related State nuclear regulatory bodies.

At the same time, GEH has memoranda of understanding or other agreements in place with companies in the USA, Sweden, Estonia, and the Czech Republic, among others, to explore the deployment of the technology.