The French company EDF has decided to suspend its small nuclear reactor project. The reason is the problems arising from the excessive technical complexity of this device.

French energy giant EDF has suspended its NUWARD small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) project. This decision was made due to the high level of technical complexity of the unit, which translates into production and labor costs. At the same time, the company will start work on a new, simpler unit.

The NUWARD pressurized water reactor was to have an installed capacity of 170 MW. It is important to note that such units were to be installed in pairs, meaning that one power plant based on EDF’s SMR technology was to exceed the capacity of GE-Hitachi’s BWRX-300 reactor (capacity: 300 MW).

In April 2024, the European Commission approved French state aid to EDF for the NUWARD project. The deal amounted to 300 million euros…