European nuclear technology developer newcleo has signed a partnership agreement with France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) that includes looking at possible scenarios for the development and deployment of advanced lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs) for the French nuclear power fleet.
In a statement on 9 April newcleo said the collaboration also covers work on fuel qualification, calculation codes, materials and instrumentation and measurement. It said the agreement marks a major step forward in the realisation of its LFR project.
newcleo is developing a 30 MW lead-cooled fast neutron demonstration nuclear plant and a mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication unit. It said the two projects represent a total investment of €3bn ($3.2bn) in France.