European alliance to develop lead-cooled SMR

Four European nuclear technology organisations have launched the Eagles Consortium to develop and commercialise the EAGLES-300 next-generation lead-cooled small modular reactor with the aim of delivering a first demonstration by 2035.

The agreement was signed by Belgium's SCK-CEN nuclear research centre, Italy's national agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development ENEA, Italian company Ansaldo Nucleare, and Romanian state-owned nuclear R&D coordination organisation RATEN on the sidelines of the European Energy Council, in the presence of Belgian Minister of Energy Mathieu Bihet, Italian Minister of the Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Italian Ambassador to Luxembourg Carmine Robustelli, Romanian Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy Cristian Bușoi, and Romanian Ambassador to Luxembourg Alexandrina-Livia Rusu.

EAGLES-300 is a lead-cooled Generation IV small modular reactor (SMR). Last year, the design - then referred to as the EU-SMR-LFR - was one of two lead-cooled fast reactor proposals selected by the European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors, a European Commission initiative to facilitate and accelerate the development, demonstration, and deployment of the first SMR projects in Europe in the early 2030s.

Key features of EAGLES-300 will include high power output and grid flexibility, with around 350 MWe power, also suitable for industrial heat supply and hydrogen production; modular design, for lower construction investment, faster construction and flexible deployment; and optimised fuel management, using MOX nuclear fuel, including recycled materials, reducing radioactive waste and enhancing sustainability.

The Eagles Consortium plans to leverage two test facilities on its route to commercialisation. The LEANDREA technology demonstrator, at Mol in Belgium - which the consortium aims to deliver by 2035 - will focus on fuel and materials testing; while the ALFRED (Advanced Lead Fast Reactor European Demonstrator ) project, at Pitești, Romania, will be upgraded to serve as a stepping stone toward commercial deployment. With global commercialisation for EAGLES-300 targeted in 2039, the consortium said it is adopting a stepwise approach to development, ensuring technical feasibility and economic viability at each stage.

The new agreement solidifies and strengthens the collaboration among consortium members, transforming their ongoing partnership into a strengthened commitment to contribute to a more sustainable implementation of nuclear energy, the consortium's members said.

The Eagles Consortium capitalises on its members' expertise in lead cooling technology and engineering, Giorgio Graditi, ENEA Director General, said. "By this asset, the Consortium will stand even more brightly in Europe as a pole of attraction on the LFR technology, extending further the strategic and scientific collaboration in the field to nurture innovation and foster the safe and secure decarbonisation of the energy mix," he added.

"The consortium agreement signed today is very well integrated into the European Union's Energy Strategy. LFR (Lead cooled Fast Neutron Reactor) technology is supported by the European Union through the SNETP (Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform) and ESNII (European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative) initiatives, for the development of Generation IV nuclear systems," Bușoi said.

Source: https://www.world-nuclear-news...