The GE-Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) has entered Step 2 of the UK’s Generic Design Assessment (GDA), according to announcements by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), Environment Agency, and Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
The GDA process evaluates reactor designs early to ensure they meet safety, security, and environmental standards for potential deployment in Great Britain. Step 1 established the groundwork for assessment, including scope, schedule, and technical readiness. Regulators confirmed GE-Hitachi is ready to progress.
What Happens in Step 2?
Step 2 focuses on assessing the core elements of the BWRX-300 design, such as safety methodologies, environmental protections, and adherence to international standards. ONR’s Head of Regulation for the BWRX-300, Rob Exley, explained:
“Step 2 of the GDA will mark the beginning of our technical assessment of the BWRX-300 reactor, where we’ll examine GE-Hitachi’s submissions setting out why it believes its generic design can be safely and securely deployed in Great Britain.
“We will also seek to build upon our collaborative partnerships with both the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. As all our organisations are reviewing essentially the same design in parallel, we are committed to exploring all opportunities for more efficient regulation, sharing insights, and enabling GE-Hitachi to maintain a common design as much as possible.”
Saffron Price-Finnerty, the Environment Agency’s New Reactors Programme Manager, added:
“During Step 2, our skilled and experienced team will be assessing the underpinning fundamentals of the BWRX-300, including identifying any specific environmental protection issues or concerns that we find.
“I’m grateful for the hard work of our team and that of GE-Hitachi to meet this milestone. We welcome GE-Hitachi’s initiative of taking a truly international approach in working towards a single design for global deployment. We’ll work with other regulators to see what can be achieved while ensuring protection of people and the environment.”
Public Engagement
GE-Hitachi has launched a GDA website to share detailed information about the reactor design and enable public input. People can submit questions and comments, which will inform the regulators’ assessments.
Looking Ahead
The two-step GDA process is expected to conclude in December 2025. At that time, regulators will publish statements on their confidence in the design’s suitability for construction and operation in Great Britain. However, further detailed assessments will be needed before any site-specific construction begins.
Source: www.onr.org.uk "GE-Hitachi’s BWRX-300 completes the first step of generic design assessment"
