MoU Signed For Microreactor Deployment In Finland

Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) and Finland’s Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the potential deployment of a Micro-Modular Reactor (MMR) in Lappeenranta, southern Finland. The planned project will also involve local authorities and stakeholders.

LUT plans to deploy an MMR as a research and test reactor at or near its campus in the city of Lappeenranta The reactor will be operated as a training, research and demonstration facility.

It will be connected to the local district heating network to provide carbon-free district heating to the university, city and surrounding area.

The new facility will test new technologies to decarbonise energy production, microgrid integration, and help train the future workforce through hands-on experience with a next-generation high-temperature gas-cooled microreactor.

The safety and design of the micro-modular reactor makes partnering with Ultra Safe Nuclear the ideal choice for LUT and for Finland as we work toward decarbonised municipal and industrial heat supply and a carbon-neutral world

said Juhani Hyvärinen, professor of nuclear engineering at LUT.

Read more on LUT Press Release and on World Nuclear News.

USNC’s MMR is a 15 MW thermal, 5 MW electrical high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, drawing on operational experience from reactors developed by China, Germany, Japan and the USA.

It consists of two plants: the nuclear plant that generates heat, and the adjacent power plant that converts heat into electricity or provides process heat for industrial applications. The USNC system is designed to be simple, with minimal operation and maintenance requirements, and no on-site fuel storage, handling or processing.

The MMR uses TRISO fuel in prismatic graphite blocks and has a sealed transportable core.