EDF restarts development of simplified Nuward modular reactor design

EDF has restarted development of its Nuward small modular reactor. The company used the development pause to process feedback from potential customers and simplify the design. The modular reactor is expected to have an electrical capacity of 400 MWe, with the option of combined heat and power generation at 100 MWt. The company plans to present the reactor concept in the middle of next year, with the Nuward reactor expected to reach the market in the 2030s.

Nuward, a subsidiary of French energy company EDF, is resuming work on its Nuward small modular reactor (SMR). The company announced the news on the professional social network LinkedIn, along with the appointment of Julien Garrel as the project’s new executive president.

"Studies conducted in recent months have been decisive: Nuward has refined its strategy to fully meet the expectations of industry. The Nuward modular reactor will deliver 400 MW of electrical power and offer the option of combined heat and power generation of up to around 100 MWt. It will rely on well-known and proven technology blocks," Nuward said.

The development pause followed EDF’s announcement in July last year that it planned to optimize the modular reactor design based on market feedback. The project was subsequently withdrawn from the competition to build small modular reactors in the UK.

Nuward plans to meet the expectations of industrial customers with a simple, modular solution that can be manufactured in advance and speed up construction itself, one of the core ideas behind modular reactors.

On the market in the 2030s

Several companies began developing the Nuward small modular reactor in 2017. The design is based on experience with pressurized water reactors (PWRs). The original project envisaged two reactors with a combined electrical capacity of 340 MW. Project representatives now speak of a capacity of up to 400 MWe and the possibility of combined electricity and heat generation.

EDF’s current plans call for the Nuward reactor concept to be ready in the middle of next year. Nuward plans to build the first prototype in its home country, France, and the solution is expected to reach the market in the 2030s. In the meantime, EDF is also working with regulatory authorities on licensing the modular reactor, including the Czech regulator.