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EDF’s Nuward U-turn shows risk of betting on Small Nuclear Reactors – analysts

(Montel) French utility EDF’s decision to ditch the design of its Nuward small modular reactor (SMR)in France shows the risk of expecting too much of the nuclear technology – with delays to the project expected, analysts told Montel.

Montel News, by: Muriel Boselli, Sophie Tetrel , 03 Jul 2024

“SMRs must remain a possibility for keeping a nuclear fleet in the long term but they cannot be the pillar of a reliable electricity strategy at this stage,” said Nicolas Goldberg of Colombus Consulting. “Hence the need for electric renewables, which should not be overlooked.”

France is relying on SMRs as part of a broader plan to spur its nuclear power industry and lower carbon emissions.

In 2022, president Emmanuel Macron announced plans to invest EUR 1bn by 2030 in the development of small modular reactors, with EUR 500m going to Nuward. 

Technical difficulties
EDF confirmed media reports on Tuesday that it was scrapping its SMR design due to technical difficulties. The company wanted to “move towards a design built exclusively from proven technological building blocks”, a spokeswoman told Montel.

The market had been sceptical about the project as there were too many technical uncertainties, analysts said.

“This announcement allows us to be a little less involved in utopian and rhetorical discussions about nuclear power and to return to something much more technical, which brings us back to the limits of SMRs at the moment,” said Franck Gbaguidi, an analyst at Eurasia Group…………………………..

Safety adaptation
Ditching the design meant EDF would have to adapt the safety plan it submitted to France’s ASN nuclear safety authority last July, an ASN spokeswoman said.  

The Nuward project has been in development since 2019, managed by a consortium of companies including EDF, Naval Group, TechnicAtome, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Framatome and Tractebel. Construction was scheduled to start in 2030

The Nuward project has been in development since 2019, managed by a consortium of companies including EDF, Naval Group, TechnicAtome, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Framatome and Tractebel. Construction was scheduled to start in 2030.

France is currently developing 11 SMR projects and the nuclear development has been backed by right and far-right political parties. In April, the start-up Jimmy said it had submitted a request to the ecology ministry for authorisation of a pair of 170 MW capacity SMRs it hopes to build in France after the European Commission approved EUR 300m in state aid for the project.

In December last year, the company said it would stick with its SMR plans in Europe despite American firm NuScale Power scrapping its plan to build SMRs in the US.  https://montelnews.com/news/2edd2bd8-fa29-4629-95f9-c876c1e4e6ce/edfs-nuward-u-turn-shows-risk-of-betting-on-smrs-analysts

July 8, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, Small Modular Nuclear Reactors