Asia (bbabo.net), - North America awarded contract to build first Small Modular Reactor (SMR). The US is promoting SMRs around the world, but has yet to build one. The first one may appear in Canada in 2028.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), Ontario Power Generation (OPG), SNC-Lavalin and Aecon have been awarded a contract to deploy the BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactor to the site of OPG's new nuclear power project in Ontario, Canada.
“We are about to build the first small modular reactor in North America and, in doing so, we will usher in a new era of nuclear power that will bring zero-emissions power generation, energy security and energy security around the world,” said Jay Wileman, president of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.
The company clarified that the BWRX-300 was also interested in the USA, Poland, Sweden and the UK.
The signing of a contract for SMR in Canada is an expected step, notes Alexander Uvarov, director of the autonomous non-profit organization to support the development of nuclear science, technology and education, AtomInfo-Center.
“It was talked about back in 2021. Both customers and contractors admit that the announced deadlines (launch in 2028) are too tight and can be disrupted. The economics of the project is also unclear, the cost has already been revised, as far as I know. In general, this project (BWRX-300) is quite worthy and based on the practical experience of General Electric, but unusual for Canada, since it uses enriched uranium, and not natural, as in Canadian reactors,” says Alexander Uvarov. Therefore, he believes, there will be problems, and it will be possible to judge the real prospects in a year or two.
Earlier, the director of AtomInfo-Center noted that small reactors are a general term that covers installations with a capacity of up to 300 MW. According to him, all technologies need to be demonstrated - in the presence of the first built and operated units: “For now, only the Russian Akademik Lomonosov FPU is available all over the world.
This floating power unit with two KLT-40S reactors with a total capacity of 70 MW was put into operation in May last year. The idea of floating nuclear power plants is to electrify and supply heat to hard-to-reach regions.
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