Nuclear company to work with state-owned research body
Swedish advanced reactor developer Blykalla and the state-owned body Research Institutes of Sweden (Rise) have signed a memorandum of understanding for a long-term partnership to accelerate the development of advanced nuclear reactors in Sweden.
Together, the parties will promote the technical development of Blykalla’s lead-cooled reactor concept through applied research, prototype testing and joint business development, Blykalla said in a statement.
The partnership aims to raise the technology readiness levels of key components, develop sector-specific solutions for energy-intensive industries and optimise verification and validation strategies through digital modelling.
The parties will also build a competitive ecosystem for small modular reactor (SMR) technology in Sweden and internationally.
“Through this, the partners aim to lay a stronger foundation for the deployment of lead-cooled reactors in both industrial and municipal applications,” the statement said.
Blykalla is Sweden’s only developer of advanced SMRs. The company is working to commercialise its Sealer SMR plant, which will use liquid lead cooling. According to Blykalla, Sealer is suited for remote environments where “traditional grid infrastructure falls short”.
Lead-cooled nuclear plants are not yet operating, but are being developed as next-generation, or Generation IV, reactors.
Lead has a very high boiling temperature of 1,749°C which means the problem of coolant boiling is for all practical purposes eliminated. This brings with it important safety advantages that also result in design simplification and improved economic performance.
Blykalla and Norwegian energy company Norsk Kjernekraft recently formed a joint project company to deploy an SMR in Svalbard, a remote Arctic archipelago.
