CEA and newcleo to Partner On Generation IV Reactors

CEA, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (ENS Corporate Member) and newcleo, a European nuclear technology developer, signed a partnership agreement to jointly explore Generation IV reactor technologies.

In particular, this collaboration focuses on the realisation of newcleo’s LFR project and covers areas like the development scenarios for LFR reactors in the French nuclear power fleet, fuel qualification, calculation codes, materials, instrumentation and measurement.

newcleo is also a winner of the “Innovative nuclear reactors” call for projects under the “France 2030” investment plan implemented by Bpifrance and financed by the European Union – Next Generation EU as part of France’s economic recovery plan (Plan France Relance).

The main goal of the company is to launch a 30 MWe Lead-cooled Fast Neutron Demonstrator (LFR 30) and a MOX RNR fuel fabrication unit. These two projects represent a total investment of EUR3 billion in France.

Read the full newcleo Press Release.

CEA is also very active in developing new nuclear technologies.

One year ago, the French research centre launched two start-ups focused on the development of different technologies for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Hexana and Stellaria.

Hexana aims to develop an SMR featuring a sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor, integrated with a high-temperature storage device, while Stellaria aims to develop an energy system based on a chloride molten salt reactor (MSR).

Both technologies should use a diversified range of nuclear fuels (uranium, plutonium, MOX, minor actinides, even thorium), “thus fitting perfectly into the French strategy of closing the cycle”, CEA said.