French firm Newcleo has submitted its lead-cooled small modular reactor design to Euratom for review, paving the way for its approval in the near future.
French firm Newcleo has submitted the design of its lead-cooled small modular reactor to Euratom, the European regulatory body overseeing nuclear safeguards, for review. This is part of a new regulation that came into effect this year, requiring operators to integrate Euratom safeguards into the design phase.
The review process is expected to take two years. As countries look to reduce their carbon emissions, nuclear energy is poised to make a comeback due to its non-carbon-emitting nature. While nuclear projects of the past were marred by their gigantic scale, nuclear fission energy of the future relies on small modular reactors that are built and deployed at scale rather than standalone projects. SMRs are relatively small nuclear reactors that produce no more than a third of the output of conventional reactors. These reactors are manufactured at a central facility and can be shipped anywhere in the world due to their relatively small size. During manufacturing, economies of scale are applied, thereby reducing costs, while their small size also reduces deployment costs. Multiple reactor units can be teamed up to build a power plant with higher output. Newcleo’s SMR follows the same approach but uses lead as its coolant. Why lead-cooled SMR?There are multiple approaches to building SMRs, some of which Interesting Engineering has extensively covered. In a lead-cooled SMR, molten lead or a lead-bismuth eutectic is used as a coolant. The material is widely available, inexpensive, and not chemically reactive.A lead-cooled SMR works at normal atmospheric pressure. So, the reactor design does not need to include safety measures for pressure-loss accidents. It also has a high boiling point, so no safety injection systems are required. At the same time, this increases the reactor’s thermal efficiency to 50 percent, thereby boosting the overall power generation efficiency. The reactor uses convection for heat removal. This is a passive process that will occur naturally, even during a meltdown, without the need for pumps or manual intervention. Newcleo has been working on the reactor design for over two decades and has now settled on a 200 MWe reactor design that it plans to take to market. Members of the Newcleo team pose with the first part to arrive in Italy to build a Non-nuclear precursor to their lead-cooled SMR. Image credit: Newcleo/LinkedInNewcleo’s path aheadAs part of Euratom’s new mandatory requirement, operators of new or modified nuclear facilities must follow the 3S framework of safety, security, and safeguards. In this process, the manufacturer incorporates material control requirements at the design stage, which the competent authorities will rigorously review. The process is expected to take two years, during which the company will run licensing procedures with authorities such as Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire et de Radioprotection . By 2027, the company expects to have submitted its licence application to the French Ministry of Environment. “Early collaboration with European and French regulators not only builds our licensing experience but also provides invaluable knowledge that we can leverage in other jurisdictions as we progress with our licensing initiatives worldwide,” said Stéphane Calpena, Newcleo’s Group Executive Director for Licensing Affairs, in a press release.Newcleo expects its non-nuclear precursor prototype reactor to be ready in Italy in 2026, with an investment decision on the commercial power plant in 2029.Alongside this, the company is also building a mixed uranium/plutonium oxide plant to produce fuel for its reactors. If all goes to plan, Newcleo’s first commercial power plant will be ready in France by 2032.
Environment Fission Power Plant Nuclear Energy SMR
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Three Arrested over Stolen Silverware From French Presidential PalaceSource of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.
Read more »
Emmanuel Macron announces powerful new French aircraft carrierFrench President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to build a new aircraft carrier. The vessel will have the capacity for 30 fighter jets and 2,000 sailors. Macron described it as a display of national power. The announcement was made to French troops in Abu Dhabi. The new carrier is set to replace the aging Charles de Gaulle by 2038.
Read more »
Saints hold 9-6 halftime lead against the JetsKickoff for Saints vs. Jets is set for Sunday afternoon.
Read more »
Desmond Bane scores 32 points, including winning layup, to lead Magic past Jazz in OTDesmond Bane scored 32 points, including the winning layup with 0.9 seconds left in overtime, to help the Orlando Magic edge the Utah Jazz 128-127 on Saturday night.
Read more »
Neither Newsom nor Harris will lead the way to a winning Democratic Party'According to a 2024 survey ... 50% of U.S. adults believe California is in decline. Many who could be won to the Democrats’ side are convinced that, under Democratic leaders, the basics of good government are sorely neglected,' an L.A. Times reader writes.
Read more »
'Sunday Night Football' live updates: Patriots lead Ravens 10-7 in second quarterThis is additional taxonomy that helps us with analytics
Read more »