EDF says the creation of is new Nuward subsidiary emphasises EDF’s willingness to strengthen the development of its Nuward Small Modular Reactor (SMR). The aim is to achieve first nuclear concrete for its reference plant in France in 2030, after finalising the conceptual design phase of the project. Nuward is now shifting to the basic design phase with the support of EDF Group and its partners.

The Nuward SMR, based on proven PWR technology, is a 340 MWe plant with two reactors of 170 MWe each. The Nuward company will continue to work with its established partners – the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA – Commissariat à l'énergie Atomique et aux énergies Alternatives), TechnicAtome and Naval Group. It will also co-operate with more recent partners – Framatome and Tractebel. Its workforce is expected to increase to about 150 in its core team by 2024, with more than 600 in total including partners' staff contributing to the project.

Nuward President Renaud Crassous said the aim is to "fully integrate the SMR catalysts for success”. These include innovation, modularisation, standardisation and series production. “We are committed to increasing the speed of execution to deliver the Nuward SMR design on time to meet market expectations for first nuclear concrete as early as 2030," he added.

According to Xavier Ursat, EDF Group Senior Executive in charge of the Engineering & New Nuclear Projects Division, said that as a subsidiary embedded within the EDF Group, Nuward will be "a key enabler for a time-to-market product, providing the agility and speed required to meet the next key milestones".

Nuward will now proceed with basic design activities, leveraging the expertise and experience of EDF Group’s nuclear engineering teams, as well as from an international network of industrial partners. In accordance with the French nuclear licensing process, the Design & Safety options file (DOS) is scheduled to be submitted to the the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN – l'Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire) in July. Nuward will also engage with the state authorities to assess and select possible sites for the reference plant in France. Together with EDF, Nuward will also continue to develop cooperative arrangements and commitments with international prospects that are considering deploying the Nuward SMR or who aspire to join the SMR supply chain.

Nuward says the SMR is designed to ensure security of supply to the electric system with low carbon baseload nuclear energy. It offers:

  • load following as a complementary solution to renewable energy sources;
  • a replacement for coal-fired plants in the 300-400MWe range;
  • a power supply for remote municipalities and energy-intensive industrial sites.

It is also designed to support other energy intensive applications such as heat & electricity cogeneration, hydrogen production, district heating, and water desalination. It is being developed with a fast and efficient build process. The construction period of the plant is 40 months, which is made possible through its simple, modular and standardised design.

The design specifies:

  • A nuclear island building that is semi-buried;
  • A fully integrated Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV);
  • A water immersed steel containment structure;
  • A boron-free primary circuit;
  • Passive systems to cool the reactor.

Because of the reduced need for an Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) beyond the site boundary, the SMR can be located close to population centres or industrial sites. In order to support the licensing process, the Nuward SMR is being reviewed jointly by three safety authorities: the France’s ASN, the Czech Republic’s SUJB (Státní úřad pro jadernou bezpečnost) and Finland’s STUK (Säteilyturvakeskus).

Image: Rendering of the Nuward small modular reactor (courtesy of EDF/Nuward)