ENEC and GE Vernova Hitachi Partner to Deploy BWRX-300 SMR Globally

Post by : Layla Badr

Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office 

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) have made an important new agreement at the World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi. They will work together to explore the use of a new type of small nuclear reactor called the BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactor (SMR) in different countries around the world. This agreement builds on a previous deal they made in 2023 during COP28 in the UAE. That earlier agreement was about studying this new technology as part of ENEC’s ADVANCE program, which focuses on advanced nuclear energy technologies.

Nuclear energy is very important today because many people and businesses need power that is reliable, easy to control, and better for the environment. For example, big companies that run data centers for artificial intelligence and technology need a lot of steady power to keep growing.

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The agreement was signed during a private meeting at the World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi. ENEC’s Managing Director and CEO, His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, and Maví Zingoni, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power division, officially signed the papers. They promised to work together on a detailed plan. This plan will include finding places to build the reactors, figuring out legal steps to get approval, planning investments, and creating ways to supply the needed parts and services.

His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi said, “As we keep providing clean and reliable electricity to the UAE all day and night, we are excited to deepen our partnership with GE Vernova Hitachi. Together, we want to speed up the use of new nuclear technologies here in the UAE and in other countries too. This agreement combines our strengths to make a clear plan for safe and high-quality nuclear energy projects, just like we have done in the UAE. Since the world’s need for power is growing fast, we want to find new solutions that are good for the environment.”

Maví Zingoni from GE Vernova said, “Small modular reactors are very important for a future with secure energy. We are happy to work more closely with ENEC because the UAE wants to be one of the first to use these new nuclear technologies. The first BWRX-300 reactor is already being built in Canada. Working with ENEC makes us stronger and helps us bring this technology to more places, helping the world move toward cleaner energy.”

ENEC is known for running the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi, which has four units. ENEC has great experience because it successfully brought nuclear energy to the UAE’s power grid, following very high international safety and quality standards. ENEC is part of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) Atlanta Center, which means it follows strict US safety and regulatory rules. This experience includes building, financing, and connecting nuclear plants to the power grid. Today, nuclear energy provides 25% of the UAE’s electricity, and the Barakah plant was built quickly—each unit took only about 7.9 years to become fully operational.

GE Vernova’s Nuclear Power business, together with Hitachi, is a world leader in making nuclear fuel, services, and advanced nuclear reactor designs. Their technologies include boiling water reactors and small modular reactors like the BWRX-300. This reactor design is one of the simplest but also very advanced. Recently, on May 8, the Province of Ontario and Ontario Power Generation approved building the first BWRX-300 reactor at the Darlington nuclear site in Canada. This is a big step because it will be the first small modular reactor built in the Western world, showing progress in nuclear technology.

Now, ENEC and GE Vernova Hitachi teams will work closely to create a detailed plan to deploy the BWRX-300 reactor. This is part of ENEC’s ADVANCE Program, which aims to speed up studying and using next-generation nuclear technologies.

Besides the Barakah plant, ENEC is also looking for new ways to invest, collaborate, and build nuclear energy projects inside the UAE and abroad. Their goal is to deliver clean, reliable power quickly to help keep energy safe and sustainable for the future.

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