GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) is joining forces with Samsung C&T. The company is a top construction and engineering firm with extensive global experience. Together, they aim to push forward the deployment of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) in markets beyond North America. The partnership aims to strengthen the supply chain and optimize project delivery for GVH’s SMR, with a specific focus on the potential deployment of five BWRX-300 units in Sweden.
“With the first unit of our BWRX-300 under construction in Canada, we are well positioned to lead the deployment and scale of the SMR industry,” said Maví Zingoni, CEO Power, GE Vernova. “This collaboration with a leading player like Samsung C&T, which has a solid track-record of helping to deliver nuclear projects safely, on-time and on-budget, will further strengthen the BWRX-300 position among the most advanced, deployment ready, and lowest risk SMR technology available today.”
Se-chul Oh, Samsung C&T CEO, added, “This agreement marks a strategic collaboration where Samsung C&T and GVH aim to become global leaders in the nuclear power segment. The collaboration will capitalize on Samsung C&T’s extensive experience in nuclear power and infrastructure project execution, combined with GVH’s validated technological expertise.”
Construction of the first BWRX-300 SMR is underway at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington site in Canada, with completion anticipated by the end of the decade. Key components, including the reactor pressure vessel, are being manufactured, and site activities are progressing according to plan, positioning it as the first small modular reactor in the Western World.
Beyond Canada, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) application to build the first BWRX-300 SMR at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In Poland, Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) has selected Włocławek for its first SMR, while in Sweden, Vattenfall has shortlisted the BWRX-300 in its assessment of new reactors near the Ringhals plant on the Värö Peninsula.
Each BWRX-300 SMR unit can generate about 300 MW of electricity. That is enough to power roughly 300,000 homes. At the same time, it reduces the complexity and cost compared with traditional nuclear reactors.
Samsung C&T’s Engineering & Construction Group brings over 40 years of experience around the world. The company works on commercial and residential buildings, civil infrastructure, and plant construction. Its portfolio includes landmark projects like the Burj Khalifa and the Riyadh Metro Project. It has also completed the 4,000 MW Qurayyah CCPP Project and the 2,000 MW Qatar Solar Power Project. In the nuclear sector, Samsung C&T has delivered 12 GW across 10 units. This includes the 5.6 GW Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE. Lately, its work on SMRs, covering refurbishment projects and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED), shows the company’s expertise across all areas of large-scale reactor and SMR technology.