Swedish company LeadCold has launched a feasibility study to investigate the conditions for building and operating a nuclear research reactor at Studsvik with associated fuel fabrication infrastructure. The project would be based on LeadCold’s SEALER (Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor) – a small modular lead cooled fast breeder reactor originally intended for deployment in remote arctic regions in Northern Canada.
SEALER is a lead-cooled reactor designed with the smallest possible core that can achieve criticality in a fast spectrum using 19.9% enriched uranium oxide fuel. LeadCold entered Phase 1 of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s pre-licence review in 2016 and at that time aimed to having the first SEALER-unit ready for operation in 2025. This has now been extended to 2030.
“Sweden needs more baseload power that can complement the rapid and important expansion of wind and solar,” said LeadCold CEO Jacob Stedman. “This reactor will be the first step towards the next generation of nuclear for cheap and safe baseload electricity. We look forward to now starting to investigate the conditions for Sweden’s next research reactor in collaboration with Studsvik AB, the municipality and the authorities.”
The nuclear research reactor is planned to have a thermal output of 80 MW and will be cooled by 800 tonnes of liquid lead. The reactor will have a height and diameter of about 5 metres. LeadCold’s reactor concept is a so-called breeder reactor, which means that the nuclear fission produces more fissile material, which can be used to make nuclear fuel, thus making nuclear power a renewable energy source. LeadCold sees construction of the research reactor as an important step towards starting mass production of small modular reactors (SMRs) for a global market.
“It is positive that LeadCold is investigating the possibilities for a research reactor at Studsvik, where we can contribute with our unique and world-leading expertise,” says Joakim Lundström, Business Area President Fuel & Materials Technology at Studsvik AB.
Image: LeadCold has launched a feasibility study to investigate the conditions for building and operating a nuclear research reactor in Studsvik, Sweden (courtesy of LeadCold)
