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ONTARIO POWER GENERATION HAS SELECTED GE-HITACHI'S BWRX-300 REACTOR FOR CONSTRUCTION AT THE DARLINGTON NUCLEAR  GENERATING STATION

​"The BWRX-300 is a 10th generation boiling water reactor developed by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. "
 "The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is "soliciting feedback" on two documents (OPG's Updated Plant Parameter Envelope Report and Environmental Impact Statement Review Report) "from individuals, interested groups, and Indigenous Nations and communities. These documents are available on OPG’s website or can be requested from CNSC. Comments will be accepted on these documents until March 20, 2023 and will remain posted thereafter. The CNSC will not respond to comments during this phase of the licensing process; however, the comments will inform CNSC staff’s technical review of the documents." Click HERE for more of this CNSC post. Click HERE for the OPG web site or click on these titles:  
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CNSC and Polish regulator to collaborate on BWRX-300, February 2023
OPG announces team GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), SNC-Lavalin, and Aecon for Darlington NGS, 27 January 2023
Proponent selects BWRX-300 for Estonia, February 8 2023
GE-Hitachi submits generic application in UK, December 2022
OPG Applies for Construction license for Darlington site, November 2022
Canada  fronts $970 million for OPG's BWRX-300, October 2022
TVA, GEH cooperate on BWRX-300 at Clinch River, August 2022
Saskatchewan selects BWRX-300, June 2022
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, BWXT Canada and Poland's Synthos Green Energy Sign agreement for BWRX-300www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Collaboration-for-Polish-deployment-of-BWRX-300,  December 2021
  • Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission web page on "Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) pre-licensing consultation" (Fall 2022-Spring 2023) HERE
  • CNSC page on New Reactor Projects (as of January 1 2023 did NOT include links or info on Darlington new nuclear) HERE
  • Ontario Power Generation web page on "new nuclear" and  BWRX-300 new build at Darlington HERE
  • View the recording of Ontario Power Generation's January 19 2023 webinar HERE
  • View recording of Ontario Power Generation's December 2022 webinar HERE
Ontario Power Generation has Submitted their Application to Construct the BWRX-300 at Darlington
On October 31, 2022, OPG  has submitted an application for a Licence to Construct to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). This licence application is the next step in the deployment of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) at the Darlington site.  The application was developed collaboratively between OPG and GE Hitachi, and is comprised of a number of information packages that will be submitted to the CNSC in sequence, over the next six months. The CNSC has announced a deadline of December 2nd to apply for participant funding to support the review of  2 Ontario Power Generation (OPG) documents: Use of Plant Parameters Envelope to Encompass the Reactor Designs being Considered for the Darlington Site and Darlington New Nuclear Project Environmental Impact Statement Review Report for Small Modular Reactor BWRX-300.

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). ​
Picture
Images "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.