EcoSMR, Finnish Ecosystem for Small Modular Reactors ̶ Final Report

EcoSMR was a Business Finland funded co-innovation project with two research partners and ten company partners. The aim of EcoSMR project was to enable Finnish companies to participate in emerging small modular reactor markets through supply chain development and developing competences in certain topics. EcoSMR research partners were VTT and LUT University. Company partners were AFRY, Clenercon, EnviroCase, Fortum, Helen, Platom, Refinec, Rockplan, TVO and Vantaan Energia.

The research work in EcoSMR was conducted under three main topics: licensing, heating reactor prospects and business model and ecosystem development. In addition, active dissemination work was conducted through organizing several webinars and seminars and writing articles in magazines and newspapers. In licensing, a suggestion on the basis for new regulation framework was proposed, EPZ determination was reviewed, prediction of licensing costs was examined and the applicability of safety analysis tools for SMRs were studied. In heating reactor prospects, different kind of analysis were conducted related to competitiveness, load following capabilities, integration to district heating network, market potential and carbon footprint. Additionally, pre-design of a heat exchanger for Finnish district heating reactor was drawn up. The research work on business models and ecosystem development focused on revisioning the quality assurance procedures of the global supply chains, fleet ownership and operation models on small modular reactors and co-ownership models of SMRs.

EcoSMR project created an SMR community in Finland and brought it to the consciousness of international SMR actors. The project facilitated discussion between Finnish SMR actors and between Finnish and foreign actors. The work will continue under EcoSMR Hub. The Hub aims to bring together Finnish SMR actors and keep the discussions and supply chain development, which was started under EcoSMR, ongoing.