Fermi Energia, which is planning to build a new generation of small reactors in Estonia, is planning to build the first of its type of small reactors at its Darlington nuclear power plant in Ontario, Canada. When completed, it will be the first new generation of small modular reactors in the West and its suitability for use in Estonia will be assessed during construction.
Ontario Minister of Energy Todd Smith announced in Toronto on Thursday that Ontario Power Generation (OPG), an Ontario provincial utility, has selected GE Hitachi's BWRX-300 small reactor for the Darlington nuclear power plant by 2028.
"Fermi Energia has identified the BWRX-300 as a likely reference technology for Estonia based on its own 2019-2021 studies and technology review. One of the reasons for this choice is the Finnish and Swedish experience with boiling water reactors, which has ensured safety, reliability and economy. The reactors used in Finland are larger and more complex than the BWRX-300, but the operating principle is the same and the use of this technology has kept the Finnish nuclear sector among the best in the world in reactor operation for more than 40 years. For Estonia, however, we want the best solution available within a realistic timeframe," said Kalev Kallemets, Chairman of the Board of Fermi Energia, explaining the importance of Canada's choice of nuclear technology for Estonia.
OPG and GE Hitachi are collaborating on the design, planning and permitting process to build Canada's first commercial small modular reactor, or VMR, and bring it into power generation as early as 2028. The BWRX-300 reactor has also attracted interest from officials in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, who have indicated that they are considering a reactor of the same design as the one selected by OPG. Saskatchewan has been considering the construction of 4 small reactors to replace coal-fired power plants that are being closed. The same type of reactor has also been selected by a consortium of Poland's largest industrial companies with the aim of building a 6-reactor plant to replace the Pątnów coal-fired power plant in the centre of the country.
The provincial government of Ontario has supported the development of the use of small reactors for low-carbon power generation, where each 300 MW VMR can avoid up to 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. The provincial government also says that the construction of this reactor will create hundreds of jobs and increase revenues by almost €621 million.
Ontario Power Generation is Canada's largest electricity generator, owned by Ontario, Canada's largest province, responsible for about half of Ontario's electricity generation and operates two large nuclear power plants within a 40km radius of Toronto. Ontario's electricity generation has the lowest carbon intensity among industrialised countries.