The Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) have signed an agreement at the World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi, to jointly evaluate deployment of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) technology internationally. The agreement enables ENEC and GVH to further cooperate following the signing of an agreement in 2023 on the sidelines of COP28 UAE to evaluate the technology as part of ENEC’s ADVANCE programme.
Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director & CEO of ENEC and Maví Zingoni, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power segment, exchanged signed agreements as part of their commitment to explore opportunities for international deployment by collaborating on a development roadmap to include site identification, licensing pathways, investment and commercialisation strategies and supply chain development.
“As we continue to power the UAE with clean, baseload electricity around the clock, we are glad to move to the next level of cooperation with GE Vernova Hitachi to accelerate the deployment of new advanced nuclear reactor technologies in the UAE and internationally,” said Al Hammadi, “This agreement will bring together our complementary expertise to identify a clear roadmap for deployment, which is essential to ensure safe, efficient and quality-led nuclear delivery, as we have experienced here in the UAE. As global power demand continues to grow at pace, we look forward to advancing new solutions to meet this growth in a sustainable manner.”
The four units of ENEC’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant are generating 40 TWh of electricity 24/7 for the UAE, boosting energy security and sustainability. The Barakah Plant generates around 25% of the UAE’s electricity while preventing the release of 22.4m tonnes of carbon a year.
Maví Zingoni said: “Small modular reactors have an essential role to play in an energy secure future, and we are pleased to advance our collaboration with ENEC as the UAE seeks to be an early mover for nuclear innovation. With construction of the first BWRX-300 moving forward in Canada, collaborating with ENEC further strengthens our ties with the UAE and ability to deliver this technology and achieve a more sustainable energy future.”
Earlier in May, the Province of Ontario and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) approved the deployment of the first BWRX-300 at the Darlington nuclear site in Canada. Teams from ENEC and GVH will now work together to evaluate and develop the comprehensive roadmap for deployment of the BWRX-300. This will also be part of of ENEC’s ADVANCE Programme, which was created to accelerate the evaluation and potential deployment of next generation nuclear technologies.
