GE Vernova’s nuclear business, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AtkinsRéalis to support the delivery of its SMR technology in the UK.
The MoU, announced today alongside arrangements with Aecon, Jacobs and Laing O’Rourke, marks another step forward in GEH’s potential deployment of its BWRX-300 technology in the UK, as it continues to progress through Great British Nuclear’s (GBN) ongoing small modular reactor (SMR) selection competition.
AtkinsRéalis is serving as architect engineer for the Darlington New Nuclear Project, the first BWRX-300 to be deployed in the world, with commercial operations commencing in 2029. ThisMoU enables GEH to leverage lessons learned from the Canadian project to enhance progress in the UK.
Andy Champ, GEH UK Country Leader said: “Strategic relationships like these lay further foundations for the successful roll-out of our BWRX-300 technology in the UK. These MoUs underscore our desire to work closely with the UK nuclear supply chain as the SMR competition progresses, which can play a key role in helping Britain become a clean energy superpower.
“Given our BWRX-300 reactor is already being deployed in Canada, collaborating with best-in-class experts across the industry puts us in an even stronger position to reliably deliver this technology for the best value for money. It also furthers our confidence in our ability to work with Great British Nuclear to bring our SMR technology to market.”
Joe St Julian, President, Nuclear, AtkinsRéalis, said: “AtkinsRéalis has been working closely with GEH and our partners at Darlington to deliver the first commercial, land-based SMR in the western world. As a global partner to GEH, we look forward to leveraging our experience at Darlington and bringing our broader knowledge and experience in new nuclear build programmes to ensure GEH’s nth-of-a-kind UK project delivers efficiently and safely to support UK government’s aspirations of 24GWs of nuclear before 2050.”
As the original equipment manufacturer of larger-output CANDU® reactors, AtkinsRéalis possesses extensive nuclear new build expertise for SMRs as well. In Canada, the company is architect engineer on the G7’s first grid-scale SMR at Ontario Power Generation, providing multi-disciplinary services including project management, licensing, engineering, design, procurement, commissioning, and supporting construction management. AtkinsRéalis is also working with GEH to complete the standard plant design for the BWRX-300 SMR technology.
Building on a long and deep history in the UK, GE Vernova has a significant local footprint with four manufacturing facilities and more than 30 percent of the country’s electricity currently powered by its technology. GEH is committed to developing a robust UK supply chain for its BWRX-300 deployment having held a SMR supply chain conference in Sheffield earlier this year, which was attended by over 150 UK businesses.
Separately, in January 2024 GEH received a £33.6 million Future Nuclear Enabling Fund (FNEF) grant from the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ). In conjunction with the awarding of this grant, GEH entered the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process for the BWRX-300.
