Tractebel is going to contribute to the development of France’s Nuward small modular reactor (SMR) project. The Belgian engineering company will carry out studies for the completion of the conceptual design of “the first SMR is the European Union.
The French Nuward project was launched in September 2019 by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), EDF, Naval Group and TechnicAtome. The Nuward consists of a three hundred and forty megawatts SMR plant with two pressurized water reactors (PWRs) generating one hundred and seventy megawatts each. The project has been jointly developed based on France’s experience in PWRs. The CEA has contributed to the development of the Nuward design with expertise in research and qualification. The EDF has aided through its experience in systems integration and operation. Naval Group has contributed its structure and modular experience to the project. TechnicAtome will provide its compact reactor design experience.
Centre National d'Equipement de Production d'Electricité (CNEPE) is EDF's engineering center located in Tours, France. Tractebel has signed a contract with CNEPE to conduct conceptual design studies for parts of the conventional island or turbine hall, the balance of plant water intake and servicing system and the 3-D modeling of the buildings housing these systems. The contract will run until October of 2022.
Tractebel experts will manage interfaces with the different partners in Nuward to ensure that the data received or provided are communicated clearly and in a timely fashion. They will also be responsible for the civil engineering preliminary studies and the evaluation of costs related to Tractebel’s scope. In addition, Tractebel will draw up the site layout in conjunction with the other Nuward partners. Tractebel said that its engineers have already carried out technical and economic studies to confirm several design options.
Sébastien Pageaud is the Tractebel Project Manager. He said, “We are proud to take part in the development of one of the first SMR designs in Europe that will contribute to the EU's carbon-neutrality by 2050 objective. The project requires diverse engineering skills (systems, civil, 3-D modeling, etc.) that we can provide to Nuward. Around 20 of our engineers are currently working on the project. We look forward to continuing to support EDF and its partners in delivering the Nuward project successfully.”
The next phase of the project will be the basic design completion. It is expected to start in 2023. Tractebel said that it is currently mobilizing its resources to support EDF during this phase. They will be working in fields of systems studies and civil and layout engineering as well as conducting the electrical and safety/licensing studies.
The Nuward partners intend to complete the basic design of the Nuward system between 2022 and 2025. The design should enter the “advanced concept between 2025 and 2030. During this time the design is expected to b e certified and the supply chain developed. Construction of a demonstration Nuward SMR is scheduled to start in 2030 and take three years to complete.