GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is planning to conduct a webinar for Canadian suppliers interested in providing material, equipment and services in support of the possible construction of its BWRX-300 small modular reactor in Canada.

The webinar, scheduled for Tuesday 28 April, will be conducted in cooperation with the Organisation of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI).

It will enable OCNI member companies - including suppliers, manufacturers and contractors - to learn more about the BWRX-300, GEH’s vision for a clean energy future and steps the company is taking to pursue licensing of its reactor technology in Canada.  

“Canada is poised to play an important role in the deployment of the BWRX-300 SMR,” said Jon Ball, GEH executive vice president of Nuclear Products. “We look forward to meeting with potential suppliers to discuss how they could support BWRX-300 construction and supply chain.”

GEH recently made its first submittal to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) for the vendor design review of the BWRX-300. The submittals addressed eight of the 19 review focus areas including general plant description, control system and facilities, research and development and design process.

The BWRX-300 is the tenth evolution of GE’s first Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) design since GE began commercialising nuclear reactors in 1955. It is a 300MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of GEH’s US NRC-certified ESBWR. Following design simplification, GEH projects the BWRX-300 will require significantly less capital cost per MW when compared with other water-cooled SMR designs or existing large nuclear reactor designs.

GEH plans to conduct several supplier forums in Canada within the next 12 months. It will invite all Canadian suppliers interested in potentially supplying goods and services for a BWRX-300 project.

Photo: BWRX-300 (Credit: GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy)