Bhardwaj reported in July 2025 that the equipment supplied by Arabelle will form key components of the Darlington SMR turbine island. The GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) project in Canada will get its SMR nuclear steam turbine, TOPAIR generator, and associated heat exchanger from Arabelle Solutions.
Arabelle Solutions' hydrogen and water-cooled GITATOP generator.
Credit: Arabelle Solutions
Arabelle Solutions is a part of the French multinational utility company – EDF Group. The company has its headquarters in Paris. Arabelle is a key player in the nuclear turbine island technology. The equipment supplied by Arabelle will form key components of the Darlington SMR turbine island.
The BWRX-300 SMR, once fully operational, is slated to supply roughly 300 megawatt (electric) of power to light up approximately 300,000 homes. The SMR project is being developed at Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Canada.
Nuclear steam turbine for Darlington SMR
According to a press release by the company, the full-speed steam turbine generator shaftline for the Darlington SMR will be 111.5 feet (34 meters) long. Further, it will also include a single-flow high-pressure module and two double-flow low-pressure modules to improve cycle efficiency. It will be coupled with an air-cooled TOPAIR generator rated up to 370 MVA for the 60 Hz Canadian grid.
“We are proud to be delivering the main turbine hall equipment for the G7’s first SMR project. Leveraging our global engineering expertise, we have optimized our steam turbine generator modules for the SMR environment, underlining our strategy of providing turbine island solutions for any reactor type,” said Catherine Cornand, Chief Executive Officer, Arabelle Solutions.
The Arabelle turbine being assembled in the Belfort factory. Cedric Couffignal, head of New Build at Arabelle Solutions, added that the 300 MWe-class steam turbine generator has been specifically engineered to operate under the steam conditions of the BWRX-300 SMR.
“The team has optimized the turbine island’s steam and water loop to enhance overall plant efficiency and maximize electrical output.”
The press statement further mentions that the supply chain for the turbine hall will include specialist providers from Canada, including Ontario-based Chemetics Inc., which will manufacture components for the heat exchangers.
300 MWe nuclear energy SMR and the project in Ontario
The BWRX-300 nuclear reactor from GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy is a compact nuclear reactor ideally sized for plant conversion from coal to nuclear. The company says that steam condensation and gravity allow the BWRX-300 to cool for at least seven days without power or operator action. The company also says it can be constructed in up to 36 months. Moreover, the compact design allows it to be built with about 50 percent less building volume per MW.
The boiling water reactor can provide 300 MWe to the grid, and its refueling cycle can extend from 12 to 24 months. It has a design life of 60 years.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission had issued the construction license for the first BWRX-300 at the Darlington SMR project in April. The Ontario administration’s go-ahead for construction came in the following month. The plan is to have the reactor operational in 2030. Once built, it will be the first new nuclear project to go online in Ontario in nearly three decades.
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