Energy giants GE Vernova and Hitachi said the companies have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as part of a plan to deploy the groups’ water-cooled 300-MWe, BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) in Southeast Asia. The companies on March 14 said the agreement was signed during the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Ministerial & Business Forum in Tokyo, Japan.
The companies said they will collaborate through the GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Hitachi GE Vernova Nuclear Energy joint ventures to identify commercial opportunities for the BWRX-300 in the region. They said the collaboration also will explore opportunities to incorporate qualified Japanese suppliers and strengthen the SMR supply chain supporting future BWRX-300 deployment in Southeast Asia.
Both groups noted the momentum behind the BWRX-300 technology, with several countries, including Bulgaria and Estonia, looking at deploying units.
“As more nations look to nuclear power to meet their energy security needs, GE Vernova and Hitachi look forward to continuing our long history of collaboration in support of the global nuclear industry,” said Roger Martella, chief corporate officer for GE Vernova. “Our SMR technology can be a powerful tool for countries across Southeast Asia for generations to come.”
“Hitachi has continued to bring longstanding experience in nuclear technology, through our partnership with GE Vernova, and we are excited to do even more by exploring the deployment of the BWRX-300 in Southeast Asia,” said Yasunori Inada, vice president and executive officer, CEO of Nuclear Energy Business Unit, for Hitachi. “We aim to contribute to a sustainable energy future in the region by leveraging the capabilities of Hitachi and GE Vernova.”
Witnesses to the agreement announced Saturday included U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, along with Ryosei Akazawa, leader of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The first BWRX-300 is under construction at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site in Canada, with completion expected by the end of the decade. The companies said the current timeline would make that SMR the first to be deployed in the Western world. They added that key components, including the reactor pressure vessel, are being manufactured, and site construction is progressing according to plan. A total of four SMRs are planned for the Darlington site.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted and is reviewing Tennessee Valley Authority’s application to build the first BWRX-300 in the U.S. at the utility’s Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
