GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Canadian valve manufacturer Velan signed a collaboration agreement in Paris on June 17, 2026, to explore supplying critical reactor valves for BWRX-300 small modular reactor projects across Europe. Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Stephen Lecce, attended the signing at GE Vernova’s Paris offices.
The agreement covers reactor integral isolation valves and containment isolation valves—components that control coolant flow and support safe reactor operation—and marks a deliberate push to extend an Ontario-built supply chain into a growing European market.
Agreement signed in Paris to cover critical valve supply
The June 17 announcement made official a collaboration that had already been taking shape through real project work. Under the deal, Velan will explore opportunities to supply two valve types central to nuclear safety: Reactor Integral Isolation Valves (RIIV) and Containment Isolation Valves (CIV).
These aren’t peripheral parts. They control coolant flow, support safe reactor operation, and contribute to long-term plant reliability — which is exactly why nuclear valve supply chains demand specialized engineering and tight quality standards. Getting them wrong isn’t an option.
The signing took place at GE Vernova’s Paris offices, with Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce present. His attendance wasn’t ceremonial. It signals how directly Ontario’s government has tied its energy strategy to building a nuclear supply chain capable of competing on the world stage.
Darlington project experience drives the new partnership
This agreement doesn’t start from zero. Both GVH and Velan are already working together at the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) in Ontario, and that shared experience is the foundation everything else is built on.
Darlington matters well beyond its local context. Ontario Power Generation is deploying the BWRX-300 there, making it the first commercial-scale SMR under construction in the western world — a real proving ground, not a pilot or a simulation. Velan brings more than seven decades of nuclear manufacturing expertise to that work. As Executive Vice-President of Global Sales Laurent Pefferkorn described it, the valve package represents some of the most critical equipment inside a nuclear plant, demanding specialized engineering and manufacturing precision. That’s the depth of experience GVH wants behind its European projects.
European SMR pipeline and Poland deployment plans
Europe is where the near-term opportunity sits. Countries across the region are rethinking their energy strategies, driven by security concerns, rising electricity demand, and decarbonization targets. GVH is actively pursuing SMR opportunities in several European markets.
Poland is the most concrete example. GVH and Orlen Synthos Green Energy (OSGE) are already running site-specific engineering and development work to support deployment of at least 24 BWRX-300 units there. That’s a serious pipeline — one that needs a supply chain capable of scaling with it.
The BWRX-300 is a 300-megawatt reactor designed to deliver reliable, carbon-free electricity. GVH’s approach is to maximize local participation in each market while drawing on proven suppliers from projects already underway, which is precisely the role Velan is positioned to fill.
Ontario positions its supply chain for the global SMR market
Ontario’s involvement reflects a deliberate industrial strategy, not just energy policy. The province invested in the Darlington project to build a supply chain that can compete globally — and now it’s moving to export that advantage.
Minister Lecce put it plainly: when Ontario committed to building the Western world’s first SMR, the goal was a first-mover advantage for workers, industry, and the broader supply chain. This agreement is part of collecting on that bet. The numbers behind the strategy are hard to ignore—Ontario cites projections of more than $600 billion in global SMR investment expected over the coming decades, and positioning Ontario-based manufacturers like Velan to supply European projects puts Canadian workers and companies in line for a meaningful share.
Creating real export opportunities down the line
The GVH-Velan collaboration is as much a supply chain story as a technology story. It connects an active construction project in Ontario to a growing pipeline of European SMR deployments, using Darlington as the credibility anchor.
For Velan, the deal extends decades of nuclear manufacturing expertise into new geography. For GVH, it reinforces a fleet-deployment model—taking lessons from early projects and applying them forward. For Ontario, it backs up the argument that building first creates real export opportunities down the line.
The BWRX-300’s European prospects, especially in Poland, are still developing. Agreements like this one, though, are how supply chains get built before construction starts — locking in proven partners while there’s still time to plan properly.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
