France’s state energy company and nuclear operator EDF has signed several cooperation agreements involving Canadian, Czech, French and Indian, partners as it seeks to secure the local supply chains it needs for large-scale and small modular nuclear reactor projects in Europe and worldwide.
The company said the agreements are aimed at the successful delivery of future EPR-technology-based and Nuward SMR projects. The EPR is France’s large-scale reactor technology and the Nuward is an SMR technology under development by EDF subsidiary Nuward.
The Nuward SMR is in the basic design phase, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2026 or in early 2027.
The agreements, signed by EDF on the inaugural day of the World Nuclear Exhibition 2023 in Paris on 28 November, include a memorandum of cooperation between EDF and India’s state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on local content for the Jaitapur nuclear power station project.