Nuclear Energy: The foundation for the first SMR in the West has finally been laid.
Finally, something practical is moving in the West regarding new forms of nuclear energy. The gigantic Basemat module , which will form the foundation of the reactor building for the first small modular reactor to be built in a G7 country, has been positioned 35 meters deep in the shaft dug for the reactor building.
Weighing nearly 953 tons—more than three Airbus A380s—and measuring 37 meters in diameter, the Basemat forms the foundation of the integrated reactor building and containment structure. It was fabricated, welded, and assembled in a single piece before being lifted and positioned by one of the world's largest crawler cranes. This is the first time in Canada that the foundations of a reactor building have been assembled modularly, "giving the 'M' in SMR," according to Ontario Power Generation (OPG).
For large-scale conventional nuclear power plants, pouring the first concrete for the reactor base is usually considered the moment a project becomes a nuclear power unit under construction. This is the transition from design to actual implementation.
The Basemat module features components made of Diaphragm Plate Steel Composite , an innovative and revolutionary modular steel and concrete material, produced by OPG and its partners, with the help of skilled craftsmen from across Ontario.
The Province of Ontario has authorized OPG to begin construction of the first of four GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs) planned for the Darlington Nuclear Project site in May 2025, just weeks after the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) granted the construction permit. This is a fairly conventional reactor with medium-pressure compressed water cooling. Its expected lifespan is approximately 60 years and the system features passive safety, meaning that in the event of an accident, the reactor will shut down automatically.
BWRX-300 cutaway (from GE Hitachi)
Initial site preparation work began in the fall of 2022 and was completed in early 2024, paving the way for the start of the main preparatory work. The company recently submitted an application to the CNSC for a license to operate the plant: it plans to connect the first unit to the grid by the end of 2030.
Building the chain
In parallel with the base placement, the Ontario government announced that more than 100 Canadian companies have now joined the supply chain to support the construction of the SMRs, with the recent addition of 16 new Ontario-based companies and six from Quebec and Alberta. Recent contracts awarded include Walters Group, which won a CAD 44.5 million (USD 32.8 million) contract for structural steel; Marmon Industrial Water, a CAD 17.8 million contract for a condensate purification package; Tractel, a CAD 9.9 million contract for the reactor building protective covering; and Hooper Welding, which won a CAD 8.8 million contract for sampling and collection tanks.
“Ontario has just laid the first foundation for a new nuclear reactor in Ontario in more than 30 years, with remarkable precision,” said Stephen Lecce, Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines. “This is a significant achievement, as the world looks to Ontario to renovate and build large-scale nuclear power plants on time and on budget.”
The SMR supply chain is pumping more than C$500 million into Ontario’s economy, Lecce added : “Our government is deeply committed to building more in Canada, which is why we are proud to invest at least 80 per cent of every dollar in the Canadian supply chain.”
“With the foundations of the first small modular reactor within the Darlington New Nuclear Project now in place, we are now ready to begin construction, with the project team advancing work on the reactor building structure, internal systems, and components,” said Nicolle Butcher, President and CEO of OPG. “This is a milestone that has required months of work, remarkable attention to detail and safety, and the hard work of dedicated craftsmen and project partners from across Ontario.”
Finally, a G7 country is moving from theory to practice in the creation of SMRs, which aim to provide a stable baseload for carbon-free energy in the West. This is an absolute necessity, given that energy abundance will be the basis for discussions on the diffusion and evolution of AI.
The article Nuclear Energy: the foundation for the first SMR in the West is finally laid comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/energia-nucleare-finalmente-viene-gettato-il-basamento-del-primo-smr-in-occidente/ on Tue, 05 May 2026 10:00:31 +0000.