French nuclear start-up Hexana, spun out the Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission (CEA – Commissariat à l’énergie Atomique et aux énergies Alternatives) and Dutch cooperative Atoomcoöperatie have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on potential advanced modular reactor development in the Netherlands.
They will collaborate to pave the way for deployment of Hexana’s technology. They will assess feasibility, engage key stakeholders, and facilitate conditions for the implementation of Hexana’s energy platform.
The technology combines two Generation IV sodium-cooled reactors with a thermal energy storage system. The solution can simultaneously produce low-carbon high-temperature heat (up to 500°C) and electricity, providing energy-intensive industries such as chemicals, steel, hydrogen or e-fuels production.
Beyond industrial applications, the reactor’s thermal storage capability acts as a stabilizer for the power grid, compensating for the variability of renewable energy sources. The solution also provides reliable, stable and efficient electricity for data centres and high-demand digital infrastructure, supporting the Netherlands’ ambitions in the sector.
Atoomcoöperatie will drive coordination and momentum for Hexana’s advanced modular reactor (AMR) deployment in the Netherlands. It will facilitate stakeholder engagement, align regional and national interests, and cultivate a favourable environment for regulatory, industrial, and financial cooperation.
“The Netherlands stands as a strategic hub for European industry, with historic clusters that anchor Europe’s economic strength,” said Hexana CEO Sylvain Nizou. “We chose mature, proven sodium-cooled technology, with six reactors already successfully operated in Europe, because decarbonising industry is urgent and requires mature, reliable solutions that can also enhance grid flexibility. Atoomcoöperatie’s expertise and deep understanding of the Dutch energy landscape will be instrumental in accelerating our deployment in the Netherlands”.
Currently the only commercially operating sodium-cooled fast reactors are in Russia. The six which operated in Europe were for experimental and prototype purposes, most of which closed in the 1990s. These included three in France, two in the UK and one in Germany. In France, Rapsodie, an experimental loop-type reactor operated from 1967 to 1983. Phénix, A 250 MWe prototype pool-type reactor operated from 1973 until 2010. Superphénix was a demonstration power reactor that operated intermittently from 1986 its permanent closure in 1997.
The UK’s DFR (Dounreay Fast Reactor) was an early experimental reactor that operated from 1959 to 1977. PFR (Prototype Fast Reactor), a 250 MWe loop-type reactor at Dounreay operated from 1974 to 1994. In Germany, KNK (Kompakte Natriumgekühlte Kernreaktoranlage), a 20 MWe experimental nuclear power station at the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Centre operated until 1991.
