Main goals and research outcomes of the EU Projects ELSMOR, McSAFER, and EASI-SMR: regulatory, experimental and analytical safety-related investigations

Ville Tulkki; Victor Hugo Sanchez-Espinoza; Nicolas Sobecki

doi:10.1051/epjn/2025023

Main goals and research outcomes of the EU Projects ELSMOR, McSAFER, and EASI-SMR: regulatory, experimental and analytical safety-related investigations

Ville Tulkki^*
, Victor Hugo Sanchez-Espinoza
, Nicolas Sobecki

^*Corresponding author for this work

BA45 Nuclear energy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › peer-review

Abstract

Small modular reactors are being developed globally with first new builds being planned within a decade. The most near-term designs are based on light water reactor technologies. While the fundamental technology is well known, the designs aim to utilize passive safety functions and simplifies systems to drive down costs. The correct operation of these functions must be ensured for these new nuclear reactors to be licensed in Europe. This paper discusses three projects funded by Euratom Research and Training programme: ELSMOR, McSAFER, and EASI-SMR. In this paper, the main goals and selected outcomes of two European research projects that finished some months ago will be presented and discussed. In addition, the main goals and the research program of the EASI-SMR project will be described.

Original language	English
Article number	33
Journal	EPJ Nuclear Sciences and Technologies
Volume	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/epjn/2025023
Publication status	Published - 2025
MoE publication type	A2 Review article in a scientific journal

Funding

ELSMOR received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 under Grant Agreement No. 847553. The authors thank the Horizon 2020 McSAFER project for the funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2019-2020 under the grant agreement No 945063. EASI-SMR has received funding from the Euratom research and training programme 2023-25-NRT-01-02 under grant agreement No 101164810.

Access to Document

10.1051/epjn/2025023Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{bc76016a3e7e414c81ed6019050b1b33,

title = "Main goals and research outcomes of the EU Projects ELSMOR, McSAFER, and EASI-SMR: regulatory, experimental and analytical safety-related investigations",

abstract = "Small modular reactors are being developed globally with first new builds being planned within a decade. The most near-term designs are based on light water reactor technologies. While the fundamental technology is well known, the designs aim to utilize passive safety functions and simplifies systems to drive down costs. The correct operation of these functions must be ensured for these new nuclear reactors to be licensed in Europe. This paper discusses three projects funded by Euratom Research and Training programme: ELSMOR, McSAFER, and EASI-SMR. In this paper, the main goals and selected outcomes of two European research projects that finished some months ago will be presented and discussed. In addition, the main goals and the research program of the EASI-SMR project will be described.",

author = "Ville Tulkki and Sanchez-Espinoza, \{Victor Hugo\} and Nicolas Sobecki",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1051/epjn/2025023",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

journal = "EPJ Nuclear Sciences and Technologies",

issn = "2491-9292",

publisher = "EDP Sciences",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Main goals and research outcomes of the EU Projects ELSMOR, McSAFER, and EASI-SMR

T2 - regulatory, experimental and analytical safety-related investigations

AU - Tulkki, Ville

AU - Sanchez-Espinoza, Victor Hugo

AU - Sobecki, Nicolas

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Small modular reactors are being developed globally with first new builds being planned within a decade. The most near-term designs are based on light water reactor technologies. While the fundamental technology is well known, the designs aim to utilize passive safety functions and simplifies systems to drive down costs. The correct operation of these functions must be ensured for these new nuclear reactors to be licensed in Europe. This paper discusses three projects funded by Euratom Research and Training programme: ELSMOR, McSAFER, and EASI-SMR. In this paper, the main goals and selected outcomes of two European research projects that finished some months ago will be presented and discussed. In addition, the main goals and the research program of the EASI-SMR project will be described.

AB - Small modular reactors are being developed globally with first new builds being planned within a decade. The most near-term designs are based on light water reactor technologies. While the fundamental technology is well known, the designs aim to utilize passive safety functions and simplifies systems to drive down costs. The correct operation of these functions must be ensured for these new nuclear reactors to be licensed in Europe. This paper discusses three projects funded by Euratom Research and Training programme: ELSMOR, McSAFER, and EASI-SMR. In this paper, the main goals and selected outcomes of two European research projects that finished some months ago will be presented and discussed. In addition, the main goals and the research program of the EASI-SMR project will be described.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105010851735

U2 - 10.1051/epjn/2025023

DO - 10.1051/epjn/2025023

M3 - Review Article

AN - SCOPUS:105010851735

SN - 2491-9292

VL - 11

JO - EPJ Nuclear Sciences and Technologies

JF - EPJ Nuclear Sciences and Technologies

M1 - 33

ER -

Main goals and research outcomes of the EU Projects ELSMOR, McSAFER, and EASI-SMR: regulatory, experimental and analytical safety-related investigations

Abstract

Funding

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

McSAFER: High-Performance Advanced Methods and Experimental Investigations for the Safety Evaluation of Generic Small Modular Reactors

ELSMOR: Towards European Licensing of Small Modular Reactors

Cite this