Darlington SMR to feature Arabelle Solutions turbine gear

The company will supply a small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear steam turbine, an air-cooled TOPAIR generator, and associated heat exchanger for the project.

"We are proud to be delivering the main turbine hall equipment for the G7's first SMR project," said Arabelle Solutions CEO Catherine Cornand. "Leveraging our global engineering expertise, we have optimised our steam turbine generator modules for the SMR environment, underlining our strategy of providing turbine island solutions for any reactor type."

Cedric Couffignal, head of New Build at Arabelle Solutions, added: "The 300 MWe-class steam turbine generator has been specifically engineered to operate under the steam conditions of the BWRX-300 SMR and the team has optimised the turbine island's steam and water loop to enhance overall plant efficiency and maximise electrical output."

The BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation SMR with passive safety systems that leverages the design and licensing basis of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy's (GVH's) 1500 MW ESBWR boiling water reactor.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission issued a construction licence for the first BWRX-300 at the Darlington SMR project in April, and the government of Ontario gave its approval for construction to begin on 8 May. It will be the first new nuclear build in Ontario in more than three decades and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) said it was set to be the first commercial grid-scale SMR in North America, with an in-service target date of 2030.

The supply chain for the turbine hall will include specialist providers from Canada, including Ontario-based Chemetics Inc, which will manufacture components for the heat exchangers.

In total, the full-speed steam turbine generator shaftline for the Darlington SMR will be 34 metres long and includes a single-flow high-pressure module and two double-flow low-pressure modules to improve cycle efficiency. It will be coupled with a TOPAIR generator rated up to 370 MVA for the 60 Hz Canadian grid.

EDF completed its acquisition of a portion of GE Vernova's nuclear conventional islands technology and services, including its Arabelle steam turbines, in May last year. The transaction included the manufacturing of conventional island equipment for new nuclear power plants as well as related maintenance and upgrade activities for existing nuclear plants outside of the Americas. EDF's acquisition of the business - at that time, known as GE Steam Power - was first announced in early 2022 and the final agreement was signed in the November of that year.

Employing around 3,300 people, Arabelle Solutions supplies equipment for new nuclear power plants and also maintains and upgrades equipment in existing nuclear power plants. Its steam turbines will be used in particular in the EPR, EPR2 and SMR reactor series, EDF said.