ESBWR
Economic Simplified BWR
Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor by GE Hitachi, 1520 MWe with fully passive safety eliminating AC power needs for 72 hours.
The ESBWR uses natural circulation boiling, isolation condensers, and gravity-driven cooling. It features 1136 fuel assemblies and 24-month cycles. NRC design certified in 2014; no firm orders but pursued for North Anna site replacement.
Why it matters now
ESBWR's passive design aligns with 2025-2026 SMR trends, potentially revived for data center baseload as BWR experience aids licensing vs. novel coolants.