On Friday 11 October, the European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), created in February 2024 (see EUROPE 13347/5), unveiled the nine projects that have been selected in the call for SMR projects wishing to be considered for the Alliance’s working groups, launched in June 2024.
Out of 22 applications received, the following projects have been selected: EU-SMR-LFR project (Ansaldo Nucleare, SCK-CEN, ENEA, RATEN), CityHeat project (Calogena, Steady Energy), Quantum project (Last Energy), European LFR AS project (newcleo), Nuward (EDF), European BWRX-300 SMR (OSGE), Rolls-Royce SMR (Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd), NuScale VOYGR™ SMR (RoPower Nuclear S.A) and the Thorizon One project (Thorizon).
Each of these projects will have the opportunity to set up a working group involving all partners interested in collaborating with the project.
Although this does not involve the granting of funding by the Alliance, MEP Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe, French) expressed his regret, via the social network X, that several of the projects selected have “links outside Europe and will be able to benefit from support from the EU”.
This is the case for the Quantum and NuScale VOYGR™ SMR (United States) and Rolls-Royce SMR (United Kingdom) projects.
“Instead of helping our competitors to establish themselves in Europe, the Alliance must focus its efforts on supporting European technologies”, he insisted.
Projects that have not been selected in this first round will be able to resubmit their applications in the second quarter of 2025. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)