Last week, Mr. Vincent Berger, the High Commissioner for Atomic Energy, hosted us and his team to present the findings of his report on innovative nuclear technologies.
Alongside various French startups also audited, we discussed the distinguishing features of our concept, as well as the overall state of the industry—particularly the molten salt sector, which we will need to build with our partners. In this article, we share his conclusions transparently, which align with our roadmap and ongoing actions.
Strengths Highlighted:
- The fuel itself: Salt simplifies the fuel manufacturing process, ensures the preservation of EDF’s plutonium volume/quality through isogeneration, and allows for thorium and U235 versions.
- Safety: : Four safety barriers limit exposure to only 1 mSv at closure, with a demonstration of enhanced safety in scenarios involving a hypothesized breach of the first barrier without causing major incidents. The reactor also features a low-pressure, natural convection system.
- Security prise en compte dès la conception : un sel combustible demeurant plus de 20 ans en réacteur, limitant radicalement le nombre de transports de matières radioactives, et la disposition souterraine de notre réacteur.
- Business model Strong industrial partners like Technip Energies, Schneider Electric or Orano, a business model that optimizes financial requirements before initial sales; and structurally low reactor costs due to its compactness-to-efficiency ratio. Its load-following capability is ideal for replacing fossil-fuel plants currently serving this role.
Areas for Improvement Identified:
- The fuel The focus here is on determining the State’s strategy regarding increasing production capacities of civil plutonium for fast neutron reactors.
From our side, and to alleviate congestion at La Hague, we are designing a reactor that can operate autonomously for about 20 years, thanks to the internal renewal of fissile fuel—a unique promise in the fast reactor market. Furthermore, the Stellarium is designed to also operate with HALEU (High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium), a fuel enriched in U235 beyond conventional levels used in pressurized water reactors. On this topic, we are collaborating with Orano to synchronize roadmaps and production volumes.
- The reactor The chosen fuel exchanger design is complex. Acknowledging this, we have released a detailed 3D design with thermal and pressure calculations. To optimize its fabrication, we rely on top French experts based at CEA-Liten in Grenoble.
- Salt Chemistry : A significant R&D program has been launched with our partners (CNRS, CEA, IJCLAB) and the Orano's sharing group (Thorizon, Naarea) enables pooling R&D efforts on salt synthesis, reprocessing, and corrosion control.
- Safety Code Validation The world’s first fission experiment using fast neutrons in chloride salts will validate our calculations. Its preliminary design (APS) has already been budgeted. As a nod to history, we’ve named it Alvin, in honor of physicist Alvin Weinberg, considered as the father of molten salt reactors.
From this audit by the High Commissioner for Atomic Energy, we take away that our efforts are yielding results, but we must continue our research diligently. We are committed to creating a new fast reactor sector, a national choice that requires the mobilization of all nuclear stakeholders and the State to achieve energy sovereignty.