Westinghouse Electric Company (currently being acquired by Canada’s Brookfield from Japan’s Toshiba) has signed a cooperation agreement for lead-cooled fast reactor technology development with the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) and Ansaldo Nucleare.
Westinghouse said on 22 February that they are to collaborate in the development of a next-generation nuclear plant based on LFR technology. “This agreement is an exciting step towards the development of a lead-cooled fast reactor for the marketplace,” said Ken Canavan, Westinghouse chief technology officer and vice president, Global Technology Office. “The LFR is game-changing technology for clean energy industries, and Westinghouse is pleased to be working with such experienced partners to bring this innovative concept to fruition.”
ENEA is a world leader in research and development on lead-based systems, and currently operates one of the world's most extensive experimental facilities for LFR research.
Ansaldo Nucleare has vast experience in NPP design, supply, service and decommissioning, and has played leading roles in multiple international LFR development programmes over the past 15 years.
