The Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GVH) have signed an MoU on the sidelines of the World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to jointly evaluate the deployment of the BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology internationally. The MoU enables ENEC and GE Vernova Hitachi to further cooperate following the signing of the MoU in 2023 on the sidelines of COP 28 to evaluate the technology as part of ENEC’s ADVANCE program for advanced nuclear technology. Nuclear energy is a crucial solution to meeting the current unprecedented demand for reliable, dispatchable, more sustainable power coming from a broad range of customers, including hyperscalers seeking to power data centers to support growth in the AI and technology sectors.
The MoU was signed during a private ceremony at the World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE. HE Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and CEO of ENEC and Maví Zingoni, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power segment, exchanged signed MOUs 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 commercialization strategies and supply chain development.
Following the signing, His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and CEO of ENEC, said: “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. This MoU 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.”
A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on Application, Technology, Fuel Cycle, and Country Analysis
Download free sample pagesMaví Zingoni, CEO of GE Vernova’s Power Businesses, 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 projects moving forward in Canada and in the United States, collaborating with ENEC further strengthens our ties with the UAE and ability to deliver this technology and achieve a more sustainable energy future.”
As developer and operator of the four-unit Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi, UAE, ENEC brings significant expertise following the successful deployment of civil nuclear energy to power the UAE’s grid, aligned to the highest standards of international quality and safety. ENEC is a member of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) Atlanta Center and therefore is aligned on US operating standards and regulatory environment, combined with unique expertise in deployment, financing and integration. Today, 25% of the UAE is powered by nuclear energy having brought each unit of the plant onto the grid in a highly efficient 7.9 years.
GE Vernova’s Nuclear Power business, through its global alliance with Hitachi, is a world-leading provider of nuclear fuel bundles, services, and advanced nuclear reactor designs. Technologies include boiling water reactors and small modular reactors, such as the BWRX-300, which is one of the simplest, yet most innovative boiling water reactor designs. On May 8, the Province of Ontario and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) approved the deployment of the first BWRX-300 at the Darlington nuclear site in Ontario, Canada. Additionally, on May 20 Tennessee Valley Authority submitted application for construction of first BWRX-300 small modular reactor in the US. These milestones will make the BWRX-300 the first SMR to be built in the Western world and mark a significant step forward in advancing nuclear innovation, reinforcing GVH’s leadership position in scaling SMRs commercially. The technology and engineering are developed at the nuclear headquarters in Wilmington, NC.
Teams from ENEC and GE Vernova Hitachi will now work together to evaluate and develop a comprehensive roadmap for deployment of the BWRX-300. This forms part of ENEC’s ADVANCE Program, which was created to accelerate the evaluation and potential deployment of next generation nuclear technologies.
Beyond the Barakah plant, ENEC is focused on identifying investment, collaboration and deployment opportunities both in the UAE and overseas to support the rapid delivery of civil nuclear energy to drive energy security and sustainability through the provision of clean baseload electricity.
