How the LDR-50, which will be built underground, could look (Image: Steady Energy)
Steady Energy was spun out of Finland's state-owned VTT Technical Research Centre in 2023 and is developing the LDR-50 small modular reactor with a thermal output of 50 MW, designed to operate at around 150°C. Unlike most small modular reactors being developed around the world, it is not designed to generate electricity - or electricity and heat. Instead it is designed to only produce heat and is focused on district heating, as well as industrial steam production and desalination projects.
The company says it has already signed agreements for 15 reactors in Finland, with its reactor design currently being assessed by the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). The aim is for construction of the first plant - to be the clean energy source for a district heating scheme - to begin in 2029.
Tractebel will provide engineering support for the reactor design, review the probabilistic safety assessment and, the two companies say, work to establish a "severe accident management programme, which is required by national and international legislation despite the technology itself being inherently simple and safe".
Tommi Nyman, CEO of Steady Energy, said: "We are eager to start working with Tractebel and their internationally recognised nuclear engineers. Combined with our decades of Finnish expertise, we have one of the world’s most capable SMR teams. Heating water to 150 degrees accounts for 10 per cent of global emissions. Our reactor focuses solely on this task, making it possibly the world’s simplest commercial nuclear reactor. This design ensures that SMR-produced heat is cost-competitive compared with other alternatives."
Denis Dumont, Tractebel’s Chief Nuclear Officer, said: "Our engineers are frontrunners in nuclear technology but also energy storage, combined heat and power, and hydrogen production. We are proud to support the development of this groundbreaking technology that unlocks the supply of clean heat to cities and industries."
