France-headquartered Newcleo has confirmed the successful installation of the main vessel for PRECURSOR, its non-nuclear technology demonstrator for Lead-cooled Fast Reactors (LFRs). With this installation, Newcleo is on schedule to complete construction of PRECURSOR this year, which will also generate electricity during its demonstration test. 

As the world looks for ways to meet its energy demands without generating carbon emissions, nuclear energy is poised to make a major comeback. While countries like China are building massive nuclear power plants, those in the West are looking for safer ways to transition to nuclear power using newer technologies. 

Approaches like small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors offer nuclear energy at smaller scales, while those like sodium- or lead-cooled reactors use innovation to improve reactor safety and efficiency. French company Newcleo is developing lead-cooled fast reactors to power projects and produce radiopharmaceuticals for the future. 

Lead-cooled fast reactors

The concept of a lead-cooled reactor is similar to that of a sodium-cooled one, in which liquid metal is used as the coolant. Like sodium, liquid lead also has a relatively low melting point and low neutron absorption. 

Including Soviet-era submarines, very few lead-cooled fast reactors have been constructed. The coolant in these designs also acts as a neutron reflector, sending neutrons back to the core. Smaller-capacity reactors can be cooled by natural convection, which operates without human intervention in the event of an emergency or a reactor shutdown. 

New designs of lead-cooled reactors are classified as Gen-IV nuclear reactors and Newcleo is working to build a 30 MW facility in the towns of Savigny-en-Véron and Beaumont-en-Véron, as part of the France 2030 program for nuclear energy. 

PRECURSOR

In the run-up to its 30 MW reactor, Newcleo is also building PRECURSOR, a 10 MW pool-type non-nuclear test system at the ENEA Brasimone Research Center. Using electrical heaters to simulate nuclear fuel, PRECURSOR will demonstrate the working of the 30 MW reactor at a reduced scale. 

Earlier in April, Interesting Engineering had reported that the installation of PRECURSOR had begun and consisted of three major components. The first is the melting tank, where lead ingots will be loaded and liquified. 

The second is the storage vessel, where molten lead is maintained during initial filling or reactor maintenance. The third is the transfer vessel, which facilitates the exchange of molten lead between the storage unit and main reactor vessel. 

The transfer vessel dimensions are slightly smaller than those planned for Newcleo’s 200 MWe LFR, and it weighs about 20 tonnes. However, when filled with lead and internal components, its mass will reach a whopping 155 tonnes. It was manufactured in Piombino by Fucina Italia srl and engineered by SRS, both of which are companies within the Newcleo group. 

The turbine in the reactor setup, manufactured by FINCANTIERI, is the only component that Newcleo didn’t manufacture. Stefano Buono, CEO and founder of Newcleo pointed out how Newcleo is potentially the only facility in the world to do such a complete demonstration of reactor functionalities. 

The PRECURSOR is also a demonstration of the company’s vertical integration capabilities – engineering, fabrication, transport, and installation. The Precursor project is scheduled for completion this year, while the 30 MW project is targeting a 2031 date for commissioning. 

In addition to electricity generation, the 30 MW reactor from Newcleo will also provide a production platform for medical isotopes and other advanced research services.

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