Newcleo has announced plans to submit its 200MWe lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) technology design into Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process developed by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and and the Environment Agency (EA) as a means to scrutinise new nuclear power plant designs and assess their acceptability for use in Great Britain.
The initiation of a GDA process by the regulators must be requested by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (following a successful application by a Requesting Party (newcleo).
Newcleo said it aims to complete a two-step GDA with the ONR and EA, including a fundamental assessment of their technology by the regulators. Subject to acceptance by DESNZ, the GDA would take around two years starting in Spring 2025.
This step follows the company’s application for a ‘Regulatory Justification Licence for for the LFR-AS-200 in April this year, which Newcleo claims as the first such application for a new reactor for almost a decade. Newcleo says it now has more than 950 employees based in 19 locations across France, Italy, the UK, Switzerland, and Slovakia, including three manufacturing facilities.
Andrew Murdoch, Managing Director UK said:
“We look forward to the prospect of entering the Generic Design Assessment process and feel that this step reflects our level of preparedness as an innovative player in the nuclear industry in the UK as well as throughout Europe. We have submitted the application after significant growth of our UK team across our three UK offices and following our submission for a Regulatory Justification Decision – the first submission of its kind for an Advanced Modular Reactor design.”