Bringing the ABWR to the UK

摘要

Wylfa Newydd's UK ABWR will represent the first-ever deployment of boiling water reactor (BWR) technology in the UK. As many readers of this journal will know better than me, the UK's nuclear generation has traditionally been based on gas-cooled reactors; though of course more recently it seemed that Sizewell B's single white dome would herald the coming of a new generation of pressurised water reactors (PWRs) to power the UK' s future. Since Hitachi's acquisition of Horizon in 2012, the shape of the future has changed dramatically, and it now looks likely that BWR technology will make a significant contribution to the UK's nuclear renaissance. There is reason to take heart from this. Globally, BWRs are the second most common reactor type, while the ABWR (advanced boiling water reactor) is the only Gen Ⅲ+ reactor to have seen operational service. The fact that all four ABWR units were built on time and on budget adds an extra twist of optimism, as we look towards the development of a UK BWR fleet.