EDF has signed an Exclusive Cooperation Agreement with Respect Energy to develop nuclear power projects in Poland at specific sites using its Nuward small modular reactor (SMR) technology. The agreement was announced at a dedicated event organised at the French Embassy in Poland.
This agreement marks Respect Energy’s and EDF’s firm intention to jointly proceed with the development of SMR projects in Poland. EDF and Poland-based renewable energy trader Respect Energy will now jointly begin evaluation of specific new greenfield sites. They will also continue to work on detailing the business and financing plans for this endeavour.
The Nuward project was launched in 2019 by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), EDF, Naval Group and TechnicAtome. It is a 340 MWe SMR plant with two 170 MWe pressurised water reactors (PWRs) of each. The technology is expected to replace ageing coal, oil and gas plants around the world and support other applications such as hydrogen production, urban and district heating or desalination.
Nuward is in the conceptual design phase, which focuses on choosing the major technical features. In May 2022, Belgian engineering firm Tractebel was contracted to conduct studies for the completion of the conceptual design for "the first SMR in the European Union".
The basic design completion, is expected to start this year and to be completed by 2025. The "advanced concept phase" will follow between 2025 and 2030, during which Nuward is expected to be certified and the supply chain developed. Construction of a demonstration Nuward SMR is expected to start in 2030 and to take three years.
Respect Energy Holding Chairman Sebastian Jablonski said teaming up with EDF “will allow us to both support the energy transition in Poland as well as contribute to meet demands of safe and carbon-neutral electricity”. He added: “By signing an exclusive cooperation agreement we start an ambitious project of deploying first European SMR in our country which will help us to decarbonise the Polish economy and will expand our growing portfolio of zero-emission assets.”
Image: EDF has signed an Exclusive Cooperation Agreement with Respect Energy to develop nuclear power projects in Poland at specific sites using its Nuward small modular reactor technology (courtesy of EDF)
