[Exclusive] Discover Nuward’s New SMR Concept
Faced with market developments and customer expectations, Nuward has revised the design of its Small Modular Reactor (SMR). Presented during a Sfen webinar on February 25, 2025, this new strategy focuses on proven technology, optimized manufacturing, and adaptation to industrial and urban needs. With an electrical power output of up to 400 MW and competitive heat production, Nuward aims to establish itself as a key player in Europe’s decarbonization efforts.
At the beginning of summer 2024, Nuward’s teams decided to redesign their reactor to better meet the needs of the European market. During a webinar organized by Sfen on February 25, 2025, Julien Garrel, Nuward’s Executive Chairman, presented the new strategy for this European SMR.
In his introduction, he emphasized: “In 2024, we made a difficult but courageous decision after realizing that certain technological choices might raise concerns among clients. We therefore asked ourselves which markets to target, with what design, and for what added value.” He specified that Nuward’s mission is to support the production of decarbonized energy (electricity and heat), complementing the development of large-scale nuclear power.
1. What is the Nuward reactor?
The Nuward SMR is a third-generation Small Modular Reactor (SMR) using pressurized water reactor technology, capable of producing heat in cogeneration mode.
2. Which markets is Nuward targeting?
Nuward is focusing on two major segments:
- Electricity supply: The goal is to replace coal-fired power plants, meet the needs of energy-intensive industries, and address the growing demand from data centers.
- Industrial and urban heat production: The Nuward SMR aims to be installed near industrial or urban sites with high heat consumption, addressing acceptability issues within a few dozen kilometers.
3. What technological choices were made for Nuward?
One of the major challenges was “to absolutely rely on proven components and technologies,” explains Julien Garrel. He adds that over the past six months, extensive work has been conducted to ensure that Nuward’s technological components can be manufactured in Framatome’s factories.
Thus, the Nuward SMR adopts an active safety architecture based on technologies implemented in the current fleet and future EPR2 reactors. Initially, Nuward aimed at passive safety concepts. The reactor will use a pre-stressed concrete containment and a primary circuit supplied by Framatome using existing production lines. This circuit consists of two primary loops, each equipped with a steam generator, a primary pump, an appropriately sized reactor vessel, and a pressurizer. The cold source will be either open or semi-closed (wet cooling towers), depending on site-specific constraints.
4. What fuel will the Nuward SMR use?
The fuel used by Nuward will remain within known parameters, utilizing materials that can be fully reprocessed in existing fuel cycle facilities. The fuel rods will be reduced in size. Julien Garrel also mentions the possibility of slightly enriching the fuel to around 5% to allow for 24-month operating cycles.
5. What innovations are planned for construction?
“In terms of manufacturing, to attract clients and private investors, we need a classic and reasonable model,” explains Julien Garrel. The challenge is to minimize investment immobilization. Nuward is therefore considering a construction time of under 48 months for subsequent units (60 months for the first-of-a-kind unit).
The main innovation of the Nuward SMR lies in its prefabrication. By adopting a highly standardized model, particularly on a European scale, the company plans to modularize the design to maximize prefabrication and pre-assembly in factories. This approach reduces costs and secures project timelines. However, Julien Garrel highlights the need to move towards highly automated “Industry 4.0” factories, an especially innovative approach in the sector.
6. What kind of heat will be produced?
The issue of heat decarbonization, particularly in France and Europe, is often overlooked. However, it is complex due to the wide range of temperatures required for different applications – from relatively low temperatures for urban heating to very high temperatures (700°C and above) for certain industries. Nuward targets a temperature range of 150 to 280°C, covering a significant portion of the market.
7. What is the cost of the electricity and heat produced?
Nuward aims for an electricity cost between €80 and €100/MWh. For heat, the estimated cost is between €30 and €50/MWh, making it highly competitive.
8. Who are Nuward’s competitors?
Nuward faces several potential competitors. These include GE Hitachi, which offers a third-generation boiling water reactor, Rolls-Royce’s SMR, which emphasizes high modularity, and Westinghouse’s AP300 project. However, each of these projects presents different constraints or levels of maturity.
Regarding Advanced Modular Reactors (AMR), Julien Garrel states: “I do not wish to oppose third and fourth-generation reactors. They rather complement each other in terms of decarbonization, not to mention their relevance for fuel cycle closure.”
9. What is the project timeline?
Nuward follows a structured timeline with several key phases:
- 2024: Preconceptual design
- 2025-2026: Conceptual design
- 2026-2029: Basic design
- From 2030 onwards: Detailed design, construction, and commissioning
Additionally, Nuward and EDF’s Executive Committee have scheduled a mid-2026 review to confirm market studies, development choices, and international partnership strategies.
10. What are the regulatory challenges for Nuward’s development?
Nuward emphasizes the importance of regulatory harmonization at the European level to prevent each country from imposing specific requirements. A unified European regulatory framework would ensure the project’s competitiveness in the European market. Notably, the first version of the Nuward SMR underwent a “Joint Early Review” by six European nuclear safety authorities: France, Finland, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. ■