World’s safest light water reactor – Safer. Simpler. Smarter.

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. 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.

Building upon the ABWR's proven technology, the ESBWR achieves even greater simplicity in design. Using natural circulation, the ESBWR has 25 percent fewer pumps and mechanical drives than existing active safety plants.

It is projected to have the lowest operating, maintenance and staffing costs per megawatt hour of any reactor technology available today.

Benefits and Features of the ESBWR

Designed to be simpler yet safer than ever before

• Residual heat transferred to the atmosphere 
• 11 systems eliminated from previous designs 
• 25 percent of pumps, valves and motors eliminated 
   

ESBWR Quick Facts

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. The ESBWR is designed to generate electricity while producing nearly zero greenhouse gas emissions during operation. Compared to typical generation on the U.S. grid, the electricity produced by an ESBWR would avoid the emission of approximately 7.5 million metric tons of CO2 per year.

In 2015, DTE Energy received the first-ever ESBWR-based combined construction and operating license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Dominion Virginia Power has also selected the ESBWR as its technology of choice for a potential third reactor at the North Anna site.