Small Modular Reactors Gain Momentum in Europe
The post Small Modular Reactors Gain Momentum in Europe appeared first on POWER Magazine.
GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and NuScale Power, two leading companies in the race to build small modular reactors (SMRs) for power generation, have recently announced deals that could result to new plants being constructed in Europe.
Feasibility Studies in Estonia
GEH on Oct. 3 said it had signed an agreement with Fermi Energia OÜ, an Estonia-based company established by nuclear industry professionals to support the development of SMRs. The two companies will collaborate on potential deployment applications for GEH’s BWRX-300 SMR design. GEH said the companies will examine the economic feasibility of constructing a BWRX-300 in Estonia, review siting requirements, and assess nuclear regulatory requirements.
The BWRX-300 is a 300-MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems. According to GEH, the BWRX-300 leverages the design and licensing basis of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-certified Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR), which is a 1,520-MWe Generation III+ unit (Figure 1).…
