EDF Targets Ten Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Across Europe by 2035
EDF’s Ambitious SMR Expansion Plan in Europe
By Francesca Landini
MILAN, Sept 18 (Reuters) - France's EDF aims to build 10 small modular reactors (SMRs) to produce nuclear energy in Europe by 2035 in a project involving its Edison business, an EDF senior vice president said on Friday.
The state-owned French power group plans to use a technology developed by its NUWARD subsidiary for the SMRs, EDF's Vakisasai Ramany said at an event hosted by Edison and attended by Italian companies that will be part of the nuclear supply chain.
Ramany added that the group was in talks with Poland, Belgium and Finland on the possibility of building some of these small nuclear plants in those countries.
Catching Up on Small Modular Reactors
EDF, Europe's largest nuclear power developer, is rushing to catch up with the United States and others that have plans in place to start manufacturing by the end of the decade.
Shift from Ambitious Projects to Proven Technology
The French group was originally planning a more ambitious reactor project, but design issues and fears of delays and cost overruns prompted a rethink and switch to a simpler, more proven technology.
Market Expectations and Technology Choices
"It is not the best technology that hits the market, it is the technology that addresses as best as possible a number of expectations," Ramany said.
NUWARD SMR to Produce Power and Heat
Nuward's small reactor is expected to produce 400 megawatts of power and have the flexibility to deliver heat, too, making it suited to providing stable baseload power for industry.
Investment and Cost Efficiency
Ramany said the entire project would require "tens of billions" in investments and added that construction of 10 reactors would help to spread the costs and be more efficient.
Electricity Cost and Market Comparison
"The targeted cost for electricity (from NUWARD SMRs) is about €100 per megawatt hour ... we are talking about dispatchable energy, which should not be compared with the cost of renewable energy, but rather with gas generation," said Edison CEO Nicola Monti.
Italy’s Role in the SMR Project
Edison will be involved in building one of the first 10 reactors in Italy.
Regulatory Developments in Italy
Italy's government is expected to give its final approval next week to a law on nuclear power generation, opening the way to nuclear power stations in a country that banned them almost 40 years ago after a referendum.
(Reporting by Francesca LandiniAdditional reporting by Forrest Crellin in ParisEditing by Giulia Segreti and David Goodman)
