As part of the agreement, Kuopion Energia will start an environmental impact assessment for potential plant locations. Suitable locations for the plant will be refined during the environmental impact assessment process, Steady Energy noted, adding that, generally, suitable places in cities include existing industrial sites.
"The investment decision will be made by Kuopion Energia, which will also seek necessary zoning changes in due course," Steady Energy said. "Zoning decisions are the responsibility of the City of Kuopio. The estimated construction time is 3.5 years."
Steady Energy's LDR-50 district heating SMR - with a thermal output of 50 MW - has been under development at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland since 2020. Designed to operate at around 150°C and below 10 bar (145 psi), the company says its "operating conditions are less demanding compared with those of traditional reactors, simplifying the technical solutions needed to meet the high safety standards of the nuclear industry". It noted that its reactors are affordable enough for municipal utilities to invest in independently.
"LDR-50 is a small and simple nuclear reactor which would help Kuopio to achieve its climate goals and provide affordable energy for heating the city," Steady Energy said. "The newly signed agreement initiates practical work towards an investment decision for the plant."
Last month, Steady Energy said it is set to start construction of its first LDR-50 district heating reactor pilot plant in Finland next year. Currently, the proposed locations for the pilot plant include: Salmisaari caves in central Helsinki; Huuhanmäki caves in Kuopio, the regional capital of North Savo in eastern Finland; and the power plant sites at Kymijärvi and Teivaanmäki in Lahti, a regional capital in southern Finland.
In December 2023, the company signed a letter of intent with municipal energy company Kuopion Energia in Eastern Finland that includes an option for the construction of up to five district heating reactors starting in 2030. That agreement followed a letter of intent signed in October between Steady Energy and Helsinki's energy company Helen for the construction of up to 10 SMRs for district heating.
