Six additional “innovative” nuclear reactor projects will receive support from the French State, worth 77.2 million euros, to which is added support from the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) for 18.9 million, announced the Monday the Government. This support was announced on the eve of the opening near Paris of the civil nuclear fair, the World Nuclear Exhibition. They are part of the “France 2030” investment program and join the first three winners announced at the beginning of 2023, the Naarea and Newcleo projects (for 25 million euros between them) and Nuward (EDF subsidiary created at the beginning of 2023) .
The six supported projects, at different degrees of maturity, cover all types of technologies: sodium or high-temperature fission reactor, or fusion reactor. Some aim to produce heat, others aim to recycle used fuels. They were selected among 15 candidate projects.
Support “disruptive innovations”
The State has made the development of these “small innovative reactors” a priority in its nuclear reactivation, with the parallel construction of large and powerful reactors to complement the existing fleet with six new EPR2 initially. The idea is to support future “disruptive innovations” in R&D in the French nuclear sector, whether it is a combined production of electricity, heat and/or hydrogen, to promote fuel recycling or improve waste management, the ministries explain. of Industry and Energy Transition.
These six projects are the GTA project led by the start-up Jimmy Energy (high temperature microreactor to produce industrial heat), RF01 by Renaissance Fusion (compact deuterium-tritium fusion reactor) and Calogena (modular reactor to provide heat to areas urban). networks). The other three are Hexana (fast neutron reactor to produce heat and electricity), Otrera (fast neutron reactor that allows spent fuel to be recycled) and Blue Capsule (high temperature reactor).
Between 70 and 80 SMR (small modular reactors) and AMR (advanced modular reactors) reactor projects already coexist, especially in the United States, Canada and Russia. EDF’s Nuward project aims to produce the first concrete for its lead in 2030.
Source: BFM TV
