Under the agreement, BWXT Canada has the potential to manufacture key AP1000 and AP300 reactor components, including steam generators, reactor vessels, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario, BWXT Canada has more than 60 years of expertise and experience in the designing, manufacturing, commissioning, and servicing of nuclear power generation equipment including pressurized water reactor steam generators, nuclear fuel and fuel components, critical plant components, parts and related plant services.

“Canada is home to one of the strongest nuclear supply chains in the Western world, that when combined with the U.S. supply chain, provides a powerful platform to deliver new nuclear generation quickly to North America,” said John Gorman, President of Westinghouse Canada. “By taking advantage of our combined presence in both Canada and the U.S., Westinghouse and BWXT will work together to further strengthen both nations’ capacity to promote and build cost-effective nuclear solutions at home and abroad.”

The AP300, a single-loop pressurized water reactor launched in 2023, is a 300 MW small modular reactor (SMR) with a design based on the AP1000 reactor. Westinghouse said the AP300 SMR is an “ultra-compact, modular-constructed unit.” It will use identical AP1000 technology, to include major equipment, structural components, passive safety, fuel, and I&C systems. The reactor is expected to benefit from a mature supply chain, constructability lessons learned, fast load-follow capabilities and proven O&M procedures and best practices from 18 reactor years of AP1000 operations, a prior press release said. 

The AP300 is designed to operate for an 80+ year life cycle, and uses Gen III+ advanced technology, which has regulatory approval in the U.S., Great Britain and China, as well as compliance with European Utility Requirements standards for nuclear power plants. The company said the design will be marketed to the utility, oil & gas and industrial sectors. Design certification is anticipated by 2027, followed by site specific licensing and construction on the first unit toward the end of the decade. 

This announcement is the latest in a series of agreements with Canadian firms to support Westinghouse’s AP1000 and AP300 projects globally. For each AP1000 unit that is built outside of Canada, Westinghouse could generate almost $1 billion of Canadian dollars in gross domestic product (GDP) through local suppliers.

Late last year, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Westinghouse signed a MOU establishing a framework for the two organizations to identify potential areas of cooperation for the deployment of nuclear technologies. Under the MOU, the companies will seek to explore potential commercial opportunities for Westinghouse’s AP1000, AP300, and eVinci reactor technologies; investigate licensing and regulatory pathways for new nuclear projects in Canada; and examine other potential areas for collaboration in the new-build market.

To effectively decarbonize the broader economy, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator says demand for clean, reliable baseload electricity will rise sharply in coming years and has called for almost 18,000 MW of new nuclear capacity by 2050.

In September, Westinghouse signed a MOU with Curtiss-Wright’s Nuclear Division to support AP1000 and AP300 projects in Canada. The MoU leverages Curtiss-Wright’s portfolio of nuclear power equipment, technology and services to complement Westinghouse’s resources in new build opportunities.

The BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor (BANR) is a 50 MWt high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR) that is envisioned for remote power applications. BWXT and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have been developing the BANR microreactor since 2021.

In September 2023 BWXT entered a two-year contract with the Wyoming Energy Authority to evaluate the feasibility of microreactor deployment in the state.

Burns & McDonnell will assist BWXT in developing the balance of the plant (BOP) systems for the microreactor, generating the power plant layout and performing preconstruction planning.

The EPC’s project scope includes developing the power cycle architecture and identifying critical components such as the steam turbine generator and air-cooled condensers. Burns & McDonnell’s scope also includes site integration design and support for steam and power distribution infrastructure and reactor building structures.

“This project has so many unique aspects to it, including cogeneration, which would be the first domestic nuclear application that produces both electricity and steam for industrial use,” said says Scott Strawn, vice president and general manager of the Power Group at Burns & McDonnell.

Burns & McDonnell and BWXT completed phase one of this project in early 2024. Phase two is set to be completed by the third quarter of 2025.