Installation activities have officially commenced for newcleo’s PRECURSOR facility at the ENEA-Brasimone Research Centre. 

This development follows the delivery of the lead handling system’s primary components and the establishment of the plant’s structural foundation. 

As a non-nuclear, pool-type demonstrator, PRECURSOR is designed to simulate the scale, complexity, and thermal-hydraulic behavior of the company’s commercial Lead-cooled Fast Reactors (LFRs).

“PRECURSOR is our pool-type, non-nuclear demonstrator supporting newcleo’s Lead-cooled Fast Reactors (LFRs),” said newcleo.

To replicate critical processes for future nuclear plants

The facility is engineered to replicate the thermal cycles and hydraulic processes that will be utilized in future commercial nuclear power plants. 

A central feature of this testing environment is its ability to produce power during its operational phases. 

“What makes it truly unique is that it will generate electricity using a turbine (provided by FINCANTIERI) – making it the only facility in the world to do so,” added the company. 

This configuration allows researchers to evaluate the integration of a functional power generation cycle within an LFR-based system.

Focus on three main components

Current installation activities focus on the three main components of the lead handling system, developed through a collaboration between newcleo, SRS Servizi di Ricerche e Sviluppo, and Fucina Italia, with technical support from ENEA. 

The first component is the melting tank, where lead ingots are loaded and liquefied. The second is the storage vessel, which holds the molten lead and maintains its chemical conditioning during the initial filling process or when the facility is undergoing maintenance. 

The third component is the transfer vessel, which facilitates the exchange of molten lead between the storage unit and the main reactor vessel.

Prior to the current assembly phase, technical teams delivered an anchoring support plate to the research center. This carbon steel structure is ring-shaped, measuring 12.1 feet (3.7 meters) in diameter and weighing 2,866 pounds (1,300 kilograms). 

The plate serves as the structural interface between the ground and the main vessel, which contains the reactor core and steam generator. 

During construction, this plate is embedded into the concrete foundation to distribute design loads to the civil structure while ensuring the alignment of the plant’s mechanical systems.

Engineering partnerships for future deployment

The fabrication of these specialized structures was completed by SRS Servizi di Ricerche e Sviluppo and Fucina Italia. 

These entities operate as part of the broader newcleo group and provide the engineering and manufacturing capabilities required for the lead-cooled reactor components.

Ulisse Pasquali, CEO of the SRS-Fucina group, stated that the facility provides a proof of concept for the commercial reactor fleet. He noted that the start of construction represents a transition from experimental research setups to functional plant operations.

The data collected from the PRECURSOR facility will be used to evaluate the design and operational parameters necessary for the industrial deployment of lead-cooled reactor technology. 

This phase marks the first time these specific lead-handling components have been integrated into a single test plant.