WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) today announced its next-generation reactor model, the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR), has received a positive final safety evaluation report (FSER) and final design approval (FDA) from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The FDA constitutes a finding by the NRC staff that the ESBWR design is safe and all technical issues have been resolved. It clears the way for the ESBWR to be built in countries around the world that recognize the FDA of a reactor design as acceptance by the “country of origin.”
The NRC’s positive FSER clears the path for GEH’s ESBWR to receive the agency’s final design certification in the fall of 2011, providing regulatory finality of the ESBWR design in the United States. Michigan utility DTE Energy has selected the ESBWR design for a potential reactor project next to its existing Fermi 2 plant south of Detroit. The NRC is currently reviewing DTE Energy’s license application for the Fermi 3 project, which serves as the “reference combined license application” for the ESBWR design.
The ESBWR is GEH’s newest reactor design that offers the world’s most advanced passive safety systems, simplified construction and operation, as well as the lowest core damage frequency on the market today. A single ESBWR project would create several thousand construction jobs and several hundred permanent engineering positions while also creating opportunities for local equipment and service vendors.
“The ESBWR is one final step away from becoming a reality,” said Caroline Reda, president and CEO of GEH. “The FSER and FDA mark a crucial step forward for the ESBWR’s global commercial prospects. We appreciate the diligence of the NRC during the review process, which enables the ESBWR to remain on track to receive the NRC’s final design certification by this fall.”
One of those key commercial prospects is India, which as part of its massive nuclear energy expansion program has identified a site that would feature multiple GEH ESBWR reactors.
In addition to the NRC’s FSER and FDA, other recent ESBWR developments announced by GEH include:
- With Poland proposing to build two nuclear power plants, GEH has been expanding its network of local equipment suppliers and engineering firms to prepare for potential reactor projects. In February 2011, GEH signed an MOU with the Institute of Atomic Energy in Poland (POLATOM), a research institute that advises the Polish government on nuclear energy issues. In January 2011, in Gdansk, GEH signed preliminary agreements with Poland’s Stocznia Gdansk, a major shipyard, and RAFAKO S.A., Europe’s leading boiler equipment manufacturer, to pursue opportunities to build nuclear reactor components for GEH.
- Also in February 2011, GEH and Lockheed Martin Corporation signed an agreement for Lockheed Martin Corporation to design and manufacture the main reactor control room systems for the ESBWR. The ESBWR’s innovative digital instrumentation and control design and development process are rigorously compliant to nuclear regulations and globally recognized standards.
About GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy
Based in Wilmington, N.C., GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) is a world-leading provider of advanced reactors and nuclear services. Established in June 2007, GEH is a global nuclear alliance created by GE and Hitachi to serve the global nuclear industry. The nuclear alliance executes a single, strategic vision to create a broader portfolio of solutions, expanding its capabilities for new reactor and service opportunities. The alliance offers customers around the world the technological leadership required to effectively enhance reactor performance, power output and safety.