What does ESBWR stand for?

ESBWR (Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor) | GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy.

How does an ABWR work?

The ABWR generates electrical power by using steam to power a turbine connected to a generator; the steam is boiled from water using heat generated by fission reactions within nuclear fuel.

How does a boiling water reactor work?

A boiling water reactor uses demineralized water as a coolant and neutron moderator. Heat is produced by nuclear fission in the reactor core, and this causes the cooling water to boil, producing steam.

Which fuel is used in boiling water reactor?

enriched uranium
The BWR uses enriched uranium as its fuel, with an enrichment level of around 2.4% uranium-235. This fuel is placed into the reactor in the form of uranium oxide pellets in zirconium alloy tubes. There may be as much as 140 tonnes of fuel in 75,000 fuel rods. Refueling a BWR involves removing the top of the reactor.

The Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) is a 1520 MWe Generation III+ boiling water reactor. Certified by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2014, the ESBWR is the world’s safest light water reactor.

What are the benefits of the ESBWR?

It is projected to have the lowest operating, maintenance and staffing costs per megawatt hour of any reactor technology available today. The ESBWR design’s core damage frequency at power of 1.7 x 10-8/year is the absolute lowest of any advanced reactor design available in the industry today.

Is the ESBWR the safest light water reactor?

Certified by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2014, the ESBWR is the world’s safest light water reactor. It has the lowest core damage frequency (industry standard measure of safety) of any Generation III or III+ reactor and can safely cool itself with no AC electrical power or human action for more than seven days.

When was the ESBWR approved by the NRC?

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a final rule certifying the design on October 15, 2014. See our map showing locations of projected new nuclear power reactors. For information on the combined license (COL) application referencing the ESBWR design, please see the Combined License Applications for New Reactors.