TVA submits first US BWRX-300 construction application

4 mpweiher 4 5/21/2025, 5:05:50 PM world-nuclear-news.org ↗

Comments (4)

PaulHoule · 11h ago
It’s the next NuScale.
mpweiher · 10h ago
PaulHoule · 10h ago
Yeah, that NuScale which has been saying they are going to build a reactor for a long time and hasn't done it.

https://www.eenews.net/articles/nuscale-cancels-first-of-a-k...

NuScale hasn't gotten new customers since then, but GE claims to be getting wins with BWRX 300. Still gotta build one though or they aren't better than NuScale. It's good that the TVA has submitted this application but they have a way to go.

Part of the SMR story is that there are no mega hydraulic presses in North America capable of building reactor vessels for full sized light water reactors

https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-c...

but GE thinks they can make the reactor vessel for the BWRX 300 in Canada

https://www.powermag.com/nuclear-supply-chain-for-the-bwrx-3...

China a small LWR

https://nucleus.iaea.org/sites/INPRO/df13/Presentations/011_...

but the sticker price of a small LWR is worse than a large LWR and it is still no demonstrated that the small LWR can overcome the bungling in large LWR construction that makes the real price a multiple of the sticker price.

I would love to see BWRX 300 succeed but I also would have loved to see Richard Branson make a business of space tourism and that was how many decades late?

mpweiher · 9h ago
> GE claims to be getting wins with BWRX 300.

The article is about such a customer, the Tennessee Valley Authority, filing for permission to build.

You might consider that a win.

Also from the article:

Earlier this month, the Canadian province of Ontario approved OPG to start construction of the first of four BWRX-300 units planned at the Darlington New Nuclear Project site.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/darlington-new-n...

You might also consider that a win.