WNN
Summary
Swedish small modular reactor (SMR) project development company Kärnfull Next has formed a strategic partnership with Finnish SMR developer Steady Energy to introduce SMRs for district heating in Sweden.
The partners said the collaboration "leverages Kärnfull's innovative financing structures and delivery models to bring Steady Energy's world-leading district heating reactors to Sweden".
Steady Energy - which was spun out in May 2023 from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland - has previously signed letters of intent for the delivery of up to 15 LDR-50 reactors with Helsinki's local utility Helen and Kuopio Energy in eastern Finland. The construction of the first commercial plant is projected to begin in 2028, with the first unit anticipated to be operational by 2030. Construction of the first SMR pilot plant in Finland will begin next year with candidate sites in Helsinki, Kuopio and Lahti.
The LDR-50 district heating SMR - with a thermal output of 50 MW - has been under development at VTT since 2020. It is designed to operate at around 150°C and below 10 bar (145 psi). The LDR-50 reactor module is made of two nested pressure vessels, with their intermediate space partially filled with water. When heat removal through the primary heat exchangers is compromised, water in the intermediate space begins to boil, forming an efficient passive heat transfer route into the reactor pool, the company said. The system does not rely on electricity or any mechanical moving parts, which could fail and prevent the cooling function.
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