Cavendish and Boccard join GE’s SMR programme

The GEH BWRX-300 is a 300MW boiling water reactor with a design life of 60 years. It is one of several SMR designs currently going through Great British Nuclear’s (GBN) ongoing selection competition. 

According to GEH, the addition of Boccard and Cavendish Nuclear will strengthen the UK case for the BWRX-300, particularly in terms of regulation and supply chain expertise. GEH already has MOUs in place with Aecon, AtkinsRéalis, Jacobs and Laing O’Rourke.

The first commercial BWRX-300 unit is scheduled to come online in Canada just outside Toronto at Darlington in 2029, where GEH is developing the project with Ontario Power Generation (OPG).

“These MoUs with Boccard and Cavendish Nuclear strengthen our commitment to working with the UK nuclear supply chain to deliver our BWRX-300 SMR technology in the UK,” said Andy Champ, GE Hitachi UK country lead.

“By combining their expertise with our extensive experience working in partnership with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) on the Darlington project in Canada, we're well positioned to reliably deliver this technology for the best value for money. We look forward to continuing our work with both the supply chain and GBN to make nuclear energy a key enabler of Britain's clean energy future.”