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OPG Announces Selection of GE Hitachi's BWRX-300 SMR for Darlington ​

2 December 2021 - Ontario Power Generation has selected GE Hitachi's BWRX-300 reactor for construction of up to four "small modular" reactors at the Darlington Nuclear site. ​GE-Hitachi's BWRX-300e reactor is a 300 MW boiling water reactor that will use 3.4 to 4.95% enriched uranium for fuel. OPG. According to OPG, site preparation will begin in the spring of 2022, pending appropriate approvals, OPG said they aim to apply to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) for a construction licence by the end of next year, and could be completed by the end of 2028.  Read more from the Globe and Mail. Word Nuclear News, and Ontario Power Generation (click on each to open). ​
PictureImages "courtesy" of GE-Hitachi
  • GE-Hitachi promotional web apge on BWRX-300 HERE
  • GE-Hitachi Promotional 1 pager on BWRX-300 HERE
  • 1 hour promotional video hosted by "The Nuclear Alternative Project" HERE
  • U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Pre-Application Review  HERE
    • ​BWRX-300 Advanced Civil Construction and Design Approach HERE
  • IAEA Status Report on BWRX-300 (2020) HERE
In September 2020, the International Atomic Energy Agency produced the report ADVANCES IN SMALL MODULAR REACTOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS 2020 Edition. This 354 page report provides 3-4 page summaries of over 70 designs, including all those listed in the two tables on this page. Read the four page exerpt about the BWRX-300 HERE 
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has a  "Pre-Licensing Vendor Design Review (VDR) " service it offers to prospective reactor vendors. GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy's  BWRX-300  reactor is in a Phase 2 review, which commenced in January 2020. Phase 2 reviews are estimated to take two years. A Phase 1 review was not undertaken; with an asterick, the CNSC web site notes that "*Phase 1 objectives will be addressed within the Phase 2 scope of work." There is no report available of CNSC's review or observations to date, and no access provided to the documentation that GE-Hitachi has provided. See the CNSC web page HERE
ALSO OF NOTE:
July 2021 - Cameco, GE Hitachi and Global Nuclear Fuel to Examine Potential Collaboration to Support BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactor Deployment HERE
Additional Notes
  • The GEH BWR fuel assemblies are about 4.5 m long, and weigh about 300 kg.  In comparison, CANDU fuel bundles weigh less than 24 kg and are half a metre long . The burnup range of CANDU fuel is about 120-320 MWh/kg U, with a mean burnup value of 200-220 MWh/kg U. At this burnup, about 2% of the initial uranium has been “burned” and converted into other atoms. GEH BWR fuel is designed for higher burnup of about 1200 MWh/kg U. [Source: NWMO-TR-2022-14, March 2022]  In summary: BWR fuel assemblies are 9 times longer and 10 times heavier than a CANDU fuel bundle.