Calogena and CEA to Study the Deployment of an SMR at Cadarache
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and start-up Calogena are considering the feasibility of an SMR demonstrator at the Cadarache site. The CAL30 is a reactor dedicated to heat production, whose design is already under review by the French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR).
In the race toward small modular reactors (SMRs), being first is decisive—both globally and in France. In this respect, the partnership between Calogena and the CEA could offer a strategic advantage to the young French company. While no definitive agreement has yet been signed and the project is still far from breaking ground, the letter of intent signed on August 27 marks an important step in developing the first French SMR dedicated to district heating.
According to the joint statement, Calogena and the CEA aim to “study the feasibility of deploying the Calogena module at the CEA Cadarache Center.” Concretely, this refers to the CAL30 SMR, which would be connected to the site’s heating network, as the reactor is designed solely for heat production.
CAL30: a reactor dedicated to low-carbon heat
The CAL30 delivers 30 MW thermal and is designed to replace fossil-fuel equipment in industrial and urban heating networks. Selected in 2023 as part of the “Innovative Nuclear Reactors” call for projects launched by the French General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI), Calogena submitted its licensing application to the ASNR in November 2024, which is still under review according to AFP reports. In parallel, the project is undergoing a pre-licensing review with Finland’s regulator STUK, in preparation for potential international deployment.
French SMR projects are multiplying. Several concepts are dedicated to heat production (calogènes) or cogeneration (electricity and heat). In April 2024, start-up Jimmy, also a winner of the first phase of the call for projects, announced that it had submitted the first construction license application for an SMR, initially planned for the industrial site of sugar producer Cristanol in Bazancourt (Marne).
A strong global momentum
According to the latest SMR Dashboard from the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), there are currently 74 active SMR and AMR projects worldwide, including seven under construction or already in operation. Among them, several demonstrators have already been identified in the United States, Canada, China, and Russia.
To learn more about the Calogena concept, you can watch the webinar organized by the French Nuclear Energy Society (Sfen) in August 2023. ■