GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy said it has begun the regulatory licensing process in the U.S. for its BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR).

The company said it submitted its first licensing topical report (LTR) for the design to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The LTRs are intended to serve as the basis for developing a Preliminary Safety Analysis Report that could eventually be submitted to the NRC by a utility customer.

The BWRX-300 is a proposed 300 megawatt (energy) (MWe) water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that draw on the design and licensing of GE Hitachi's existing ESBWR (Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor).

By making use of the existing ESBWR design certification, using licensed nuclear fuel designs, incorporating existing components and supply chains and implementing simplifications, the company said the BWRX-300 "can become cost-competitive with power generation from combined cycle gas plants and renewable energy platforms."

In early February, GE Hitachi and ČEZ, a. s., an integrated electricity conglomerate, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to examine the feasibility of building a BWRX-300 in the Czech Republic. ČEZ operates two nuclear power plants in the Czech Republic. Together, they generate roughly one-third of the country’s electricity. The Czech government plans to replace aging coal plants with new nuclear and renewable energy resources.

In September, NuScale Power said it signed an MOU with ČEZ Group to explore applications for NuScale’s SMR. The agreement calls for sharing nuclear and technical expertise between the two companies, including information relating to nuclear supply chain development, construction and operation and maintenance.

The February announcement by GE is the latest in a series of developments involving SMR technology. For example, the Tennessee Valley Authority in late December won approval for an early site permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to potentially build and operate SMRs. The 20-year permit approved a 935-acre site near Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the Clinch River for a nuclear facility with a generating capacity of up to 800 MW.

And in Canada in late 2019, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories selected the first recipients of the Canadian Nuclear Research Initiative, which aims to accelerate deployment of SMR technology.

The four projects selected include: