The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted a construction permit for a BWRX-300 reactor in Tennessee. It is the first approval of this design on American soil and the technology’s second green light in a major nuclear jurisdiction, after Canada.
The permit covers the first unit that the Tennessee Valley Authority intends to build at the Clinch River site. The utility is also considering further blocks at the same location, which would make the site a multi-reactor project rather than a single demonstration plant.
The decision, announced on 7 October 2026, means the BWRX-300 now holds construction approvals in two key nuclear markets. In Canada, Ontario Power Generation has already begun building the first reactor of this type at Darlington, and the project has moved into the phase of constructing the nuclear part of the power plant.
The reactor with sixty years of BWR heritage
The BWRX-300 was developed by GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy on the basis of more than 60 years of experience with boiling water reactor technology. It represents the tenth generation in the evolution of GE Vernova Hitachi’s BWR line and draws on solutions taken from the ESBWR design, which was previously certified by the NRC.
The design was drawn up with standardisation in mind, along with serial deployment and the reuse of shared engineering solutions and supply chains across successive locations. That approach is what makes the concept attractive to utilities looking for repeatable rather than bespoke projects.
– This is great news for TVA, and also further confirmation that the BWRX-300 is becoming a leader on the global SMR market. The Commission’s decision, coming from the second regulator, is an event of significance not only for the United States, but for all countries interested in developing this type of nuclear power – said Rafał Kasprów, president of Orlen Synthos Green Energy.
Włocławek, Stawy Monowskie and Stalowa Wola
Orlen and Synthos, working through their joint venture Orlen Synthos Green Energy, have chosen the BWRX-300 for their small modular reactor programme in Poland. The most advanced projects are being pursued in Włocławek, Stawy Monowskie and Stalowa Wola.
Poland’s National Atomic Energy Agency issued a general opinion on the BWRX-300 technology back in May 2023. Work continues on preparing safety documentation as well as on environmental and siting procedures.
According to the current schedule, the first BWRX-300 reactor in Poland could be commissioned in 2032. The American licence is expected to feed into that process, since the design has now been reviewed and approved by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy
