Development roadmap
The NUWARD™ design and development schedule targets the construction of a reference plant in France in 2030.
Key Milestones
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Conceptual design + preparation to pre-licensing 2019-2022 -
Basic design + pre-licensing 2023-2025 -
Commercialisation as early as 2025 -
Detailed design + licensing 2025-2030 -
Safety options validated + First Concrete in France by 2030
- Launch of the International NUWARD™ Advisory Board (INAB)
- Launch of a series of technical exchanges with the French Safety Authority ASN and IRSN, in order to consolidate the NUWARD™ safety options report and proceed to a full assessment by ASN
- European approach to foster regulation harmonization and to promote partnerships for successful deployment of SMR technology, jointly with other leading EU stakeholders
- Creating conditions for SMR international licensing, via the Joint Early Review (JER) of NUWARD™’s design by three major EU safety authorities (ASN, STUK, SUJB)
- Target to build a Reference plant in France by 2030
NUWARD™ benefits from strong governmental support
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September 2020
50M€ have been earmarked for NUWARD™ as part of the French Recovery Plan.
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May 2021
EDF took important steps towards consolidating the design of NUWARD™ with the launch of a series of technical exchanges with the French Safety Authority ASN and IRSN, with the aim to consolidate the NUWARD™ safety options report, in order to ask for a full assessment from ASN.
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February 2022
French President Macron confirmed the construction of a Reference Plant in France in 2030, bolstered by 500M€ of financial support to accelerate France’s efforts to export its SMR model.
Some key insights on NUWARD™’s development
In December 2021, EDF announced the launch of its International NUWARD™ Advisory Board (INAB). The INAB gathers highly experienced senior representatives from industry, academia and research organizations in Europe and worldwide to provide value-driven insights, critical analysis and advice in relation to NUWARD™ technical features, industrial approach and economics.
INAB members provide their guidance and insights on subjects such as market expectations, potential applications and associated business models, plant economics, technical features, licensing and regulatory approaches and public acceptance.
The INAB’s contributions will be instrumental in ensuring NUWARD™’s development and commercial deployment to appropriately address the market expectations worldwide for 300‑400 MWe safe, reliable, dispatchable, competitive, CO₂‑free nuclear baseload.
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The INAB will convene regularly throughout the different phases of development of NUWARD™ and is set to be a key driver for the successful deployment of the technology in Europe and worldwide.
NUWARD™: a test-case pioneering European approach on harmonising the licensing process
The successful development of SMR and its competitiveness on the energy market not only requires key improvements and breakthrough innovations regarding the product itself, but also a legal regulatory framework and a manufacturing process able to make the deployment in series possible.
Harmonisation of regulations and requirements across Europe and on the global market is key to allow for design standardisation, in-factory series manufacturing and to reduce as much as possible design modifications throughout the licensing phases in prospect countries.
The NUWARD™ design is engaged in the first European pre-licensing approach, under the leadership of the French nuclear safety authority (ASN) jointly with the Czech Republic’s (SUJB) and the Finnish (STUK) regulatories bodies.
NUWARD™ fosters regulatory harmonisation around a European technology through a transnational cooperation, a major step towards its exportability.