GE Vernova selects Worley Chemetics to design key component of BWRX-300 SMR

GE Vernova’s nuclear division, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH), has appointed Worley Chemetics to design and fabricate the isolation condenser system for its BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR). 

This partnership brings Worley Chemetics into the BWRX-300 qualified supplier group, enhancing Ontario’s nuclear supply chain with its fabrication facility in Pickering, Canada.

Worley Chemetics’ president, Andrew Barr, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting its 60-year experience in sustainable process technologies and recent ASME nuclear certification. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and GEH, along with AtkinsRéalis and Aecon Construction Group, plan to construct four 300MW BWRX-300 units at OPG’s Darlington site. With site preparations underway, construction is expected to start next year, targeting commercial operation by 2029.

The BWRX-300 is a cornerstone of GE Vernova’s energy transition strategy, incorporating NRC-certified design elements to meet decarbonisation goals and reduce construction and operating costs. Sean Sexstone, GEH’s EVP, emphasized that the isolation condenser system’s passive safety feature is central to the reactor’s design.

Image Credit: GE Vernova