The European Commission has given the green light to a €300 million initiative by France to bolster the research and development efforts of Electricité de France's (EDF) subsidiary, Nuward, in the field of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs).
Under this measure, the aid will be provided as a direct grant, spanning until early 2027, to support Nuward in various aspects of SMR development, including module and component sizing, integration validation, industrialisation studies, and safety demonstration preparation. This project phase marks the third stage of Nuward's overall project, with the Commission having previously approved a €50 million allocation to support the project's second phase in December 2022.
The Commission conducted its assessment in accordance with the 2022 Framework for State aid for research and development and innovation. In particular, it was found that the supported R&D activities will focus on technologies that are not immediately marketable, occurring at a very advanced stage, and ready for industrial deployment only in the long term.
For further information: see Commission’s Press Release