The 300-MWe single-loop pressurized water reactor, the AP300TM small modular reactor (SMR), was unveiled by Westinghouse Electric Company. The only SMR that is actually based on a functioning plant that is one of a kind is the AP300 SMR design, which is scaled from the cutting-edge, well-proven AP1000® reactor.
The AP300 SMR is a nimble, modularly built unit that draws on the inventiveness and practical experience of the global AP1000 fleet. It will make use of the same AP1000 technology, including significant machinery, structural elements, passive safety, tried-and-true fuel, and I&C systems. A developed supply chain, constructability lessons gained, quick load-follow capabilities, and tested O&M procedures and best practices from 18 reactor years of secure AP1000 operations will all be brought to bear by the AP300.
The innovative passive safety technology, developed by Westinghouse, automatically conducts a safe shutdown without human intervention and does away with the requirement for a backup cooling and power supply. Additionally, this translates into a more straightforward design, lower CAPEX, and a smaller footprint. The AP300 is made to last for more than 80 years, just like the AP1000.
Westinghouse’s Gen III+ advanced technology, which has received regulatory approval in the U.S., Great Britain, and China and complies with the European Utility Requirements (EUR) standards for nuclear power plants, is used in the AP300 SMR design. Customers in the utility, oil & gas, and industrial sectors will benefit from licensing advantages and noticeably lower delivery risk as a result. By 2027, design certification is envisaged, then site-specific licensing and the start of construction on the first unit.
According to Patrick Fragman, president, and chief executive officer of Westinghouse, “The AP300 is the only small modular reactor offering that is based on deployed, operating, and advanced reactor technology.” “The introduction of the AP300 SMR completes the Westinghouse reactor technology portfolio, enabling us to meet the full needs of our customers globally with a clear understanding of the delivery schedule and economics,” the company said.
In addition to providing dependable, secure, and clean electricity, the AP300 SMR also has additional uses for district heating and water desalination. It is perfectly suited for integration with renewable resources due to its quick load-follow abilities. By enabling clean, affordable hydrogen generation integrated with the plant, it will also open the door to the hydrogen economy.
Dr. Rita Baranwal, who serves as Westinghouse’s Chief Technology Officer, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of the Energy Systems business unit, where she will head the team responsible for creating the AP300 SMR. With decades of expertise in the nuclear energy sector, including as the director of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative at Idaho National Lab, Baranwal served as the former Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Westinghouse offers the technology necessary to build a sustainable future, improve global energy security, and eventually power space travel. Westinghouse does this through innovative designs and cutting-edge thinking based on its 70 years of development and use of nuclear energy technology. A carbon-free grid with dependable, affordable electricity, district, and process heat, and water desalination is made possible by the AP1000 reactor, the AP300 small modular reactor, the eVinciTM microreactor, the Generation IV lead fast reactor (LFR), and Pumped-Thermal Energy Storage.
