Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor

Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) is a Generation III+ nuclear reactor design. It is a direct evolution of the Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) and Advanced Boiling Water Reactors (ABWR). The ESBWR is being developed by GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) and is based on earlier designs, the Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (SBWR) and the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR).

Design

The ESBWR design includes many features to enhance safety. These include a core catcher, passive cooling systems, and a simplified design to reduce the number of components and systems, thereby reducing the potential for accidents and improving ease of operation. The ESBWR has a design life of 60 years and a projected operational availability of over 90%.

Safety

The ESBWR is designed to be inherently safe. It uses natural circulation and can cool itself for more than seven days with no operator intervention, no AC or DC power, and no external water supply. This is achieved through the use of passive safety systems and a design that relies on natural forces such as gravity and natural circulation.

Licensing

The ESBWR design was certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in September 2014. This certification confirms that the design meets all applicable safety requirements. The NRC's certification is valid for 15 years and can be renewed.

Deployment

As of 2021, no ESBWR units have been built. However, the design has been selected for potential use at several sites in the United States.

See also

• Nuclear power
• Nuclear reactor technology
• List of nuclear reactors