EDF Partners With Ansaldo On SMR Development

ENS Corporate Members EDF and Ansaldo Nucleare, together with Ansaldo Energia and Edison, announced the signature of a Letter of Intention to explore the potential industrial cooperation for the development of nuclear power, and specifically small modular reactors (SMRs), in Europe.

The aim of the agreement is to immediately leverage on the expertise of the Italian nuclear power sector, headed by Ansaldo Nucleare, in order to support the development of EDF Group’s new nuclear projects, and at the same time to open a debate on the possible role of new nuclear power in Italy’s energy transition

the four partners said in a joint statement.

EDF is involved in new nuclear projects based on its portfolio of technologies, including the Nuward SMR, the mid-size EPR1200 reactor and the large-size EPR reactor.

The signatories stressed once again that nuclear power plays a key role in supporting the achievement of decarbonization targets and climate neutrality. Nuclear may complement renewables, guaranteeing stability and contributing to the environmental sustainability of the electricity system.

Read more on Ansaldo Press Release.

The NUWARD will be a multi-purpose plant, with a design that can be adapted for several uses including green hydrogen production, desalinisation and heat cogeneration.

Its design will consist of a 340 MWe pressurized water SMR plant with two reactors of 170 MWe each. It will be based on first-class French nuclear pressurized water reactor technologies.

The NUWARD™ consortium, led by EDF, brings together TechnicAtome, Naval Group, and other ENS Corporate Members like the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), and Framatome.

Since May 2022 also Tractebel (ENS Corporate Member) signed an agreement to provide engineering services and conduct studies for the completion of the conceptual design of the first SMR in the European Union.