GE Hitachi and DTE Energy on Monday said they would explore advancing the detailed design of the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor, known as the ESBWR.
DTE has not made a commitment to build a new reactor, but in May the company received the first-ever ESBWR-based licensing from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The licensing included construction and operation of an ESBWR reactor.
DTE said Monday it was “keeping the option open, given the long-term environmental and economic advantages of nuclear power.”
“DTE and GEH will further expand our cooperation by determining resource requirements and developing plans to advance the ESBWR design, enabling DTE Energy to be in a position to more readily begin work should the utility decide at a later date to add more carbon-free, base load power to its energy mix,” GE Hitachi Chief Operations Officer Jay Wileman said. “We view this as a very positive and important step in the continued commercialization of the world’s safest reactor.”
In a joint statement, the companies said the ESBWR reactor, with its advanced, true passive safety systems, is the world’s safest approved nuclear reactor design based on core damage frequency.
The reactor can cool itself for more than seven days with no on-site or off-site AC power or operator action, uses approximately 25 percent fewer pumps and mechanical drives than reactors with active safety systems and offers the lowest projected operating, maintenance and staffing costs in the nuclear industry on a per-kilowatt basis, the firms said.
Dominion Virginia Power has also selected the ESBWR as their technology of choice for a potential third reactor at the North Anna site. That project is expected to be licensed by the NRC next year.