Westinghouse Electric SMR design cleared to enter GDA

30 August 2024

Westinghouse Electric Company has announced its AP300 small modular reactor (SMR) design has been approved to enter the UK’s generic design assessment (GDA) process. The formal approval from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is a necessary first step for the AP300 to be deployed in the UK.

Westinghouse Electric Company

The AP300 is the only SMR being considered for UK development which is based on an existing gigawatt-scale Generation III+ reactor, Westinghouse’s AP1000.

This is the first of the 2-Step GDA process that will initiate work with the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency and where applicable Natural Resources Wales. This GDA application approval comes after the AP300 SMR was selected for the current phase of Great British Nuclear in October and selected by Community Nuclear Power, Ltd. (CNP) to build four AP300 SMRs in Northeast England.

“We would like to thank the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero for their swift and positive consideration of our application to enter the AP300 Small Modular Reactor for Generic Design Assessment. The UK’s familiarity with the AP300’s underpinning technology and our strong track record of licencing success in the UK and globally give us confidence that we will move through the GDA process at pace,” said Dan Lipman, Westinghouse Energy Systems President.

The GDA process is led by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and Environment Agency, and is intended to support the construction of a number of new nuclear power stations by approving a standard reactor design which can be built in different locations by different developers. Each build will still require a site-specific licence.

Westinghouse’s AP300 is one of five SMR designs being considered by Great British Nuclear for support. Three other designs have already begun the three-step GDA process: Rolls-Royce SMR completed the second step in July 2024; Holtec’s SMR-300 completed the first step in August; and GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 entered GDA in January.

Westinghouse’s AP1000 completed GDA in 2017 but has not yet been deployed in the UK.