US firm's efficient modular reactor reaches regulatory milestone in UK

GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) has achieved a significant regulatory milestone in the UK by completing Step 2 of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process as of December 2024. This rapid progression through the GDA, overseen by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), Environment Agency (EA), and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), indicates that the reactor design meets stringent safety, security, and environmental standards without fundamental shortfalls. The milestone underscores the BWRX-300’s status as one of the world’s most deployment-ready SMRs, supported by ongoing construction at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site in Canada and regulatory review in the U.S. for a planned unit at Tennessee Valley Authority’s Clinch River site. The BWRX-300’s development is further bolstered by investments from utilities and energy companies including OPG, TVA, Duke Energy, and Poland’s Orlen Synthos Green Energy (