Part 3 of 3 Parts (Please read Parts 1 and 2 first)
Nuward is trying to involve different countries both in the design, the joint early review, and also in international advisory boards. Several countries are well aware of what Nuward is currently designing and what Nuward reactors can do. They know very well that Nuward systems can co-generate power and heat so that they can supply some industrial needs while also producing electricity. It will help to have early clients that have an interest in the Nuward technologies before the first Nuward reactor is online. There is not sufficient time to wait for the operational dates of the first Nuward reactor to discuss new projects with clients. There is also the question of if and how Nuward will be used in France. Nuward would love to have a series of Nuward reactors in France as a complementary way of decarbonization besides the big nuclear power plants. However, it has not yet been decided at any level of French government and/or industry. It would be good for the project, for the climate, and demonstrate that Nuward believes strongly in this technology for the country.
Nuward is becoming “the” European SMR. First because Nuward has an increasing number of partnerships with different companies outside of France, especially in Europe. This is because the first Nuward market will be Europe and Nuward has a better understanding of regulations and laws currently in place in Europe. Nuward is also in a race to hire people and have talents helping to develop the project. So, Nuward relies on the European labor market to do that, not only the French labor market. It is important to become a leading European SMR, built in Europe with various European nations and companies involved.
The question of how the nuclear energy sector will look in 2060 is difficult to answer. There needs to be many experts recruited so that nuclear power can play the right role in the decarbonizing trajectory. The World Energy Outlook is projecting eight hundred and twenty gigawatts of nuclear power necessary in the net-zero scenario and Nuward believes that this is certainly achievable in terms of investments. However, it will be very difficult to achieve with no change in nuclear regulation, no change in harmonization of safety rules. By 2060, there will probably be a large variety of technologies on the market. There will be a mixture of both Generation III and Generation IV technologies . There is a long-term solution to utilize spent nuclear fuel from the Generation III reactors as a fuel in the Generation IV reactors. That would be very good news with respect to the accumulation of spent nuclear fuel waste piling up at the big reactor sites. Nuward hopes to be able to contribute in a major way to fighting climate change with decarbonization. The main challenge is about skills and the number of competencies necessary to deliver all these projects. Nuward will have to be able to attract many people from other sectors, including hiring large numbers of young people. It will be a new era for nuclear power.