The NUWARDTM SMR must be flexible and produce electricity continuously to supply isolated communities and power-intensive industrial areas that are not connected to the electric grid supplied by high-power reactors (e.g. EPR).
This small modular reactor is designed for export, targeting the market for the replacement of 300 to 400 MWe coal-fired power stations.The SMR is based on the pressurised water reactor (PWR) technology, but with a more compact and modular approach.
Its innovative design makes the SMR one of the most integrated reactors in the world. The modular feature of this nuclear facility must enable the factory production of its main components.
Significant advances have been made in passive nuclear safety systems (no electrical sources) and operating simplifications, incorporating third-generation nuclear safety standards that comply with post-Fukushima requirements.
The 340 MWe NUWARDTM nuclear power plant will include two identical 170 MWe units housed in the same nuclear building. It will be powered by a standard UO2 fuel similar to that used in PWRs but with shorter fuel elements (divided by two).
Within the consortium, teams from the IRESNE Reactor Studies Department (DER) are conducting neutronic studies for the reactor core design in collaboration with the architect-engineer TechnicAtome.
These teams are also responsible for validating the CATHARE scientific computing tool that will be used to design the reactor’s back-up systems, and they are involved in analysing and defining the reactor licensing process.
Our teams also asked to assess the design of passive back-up systems proposed by industry partners and recommend any alternative system designs, especially in the field of decay heat removal systems.