Newcleo, a European developer of advanced nuclear reactors, and the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) have signed a collaboration agreement to test key materials for newcleo’s Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) technology.
The partnership announced October 1 will leverage the world-class expertise and experience of JAEA, making use of Joyo, a sodium-cooled fast reactor located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, where newcleo and JAEA will conduct irradiation tests and post-irradiation examinations on structural and reactor core materials, supporting newcleo’s long-term nuclear fuel manufacturing strategy.
The JAEA is a comprehensive research and development institute dedicated to the peaceful use of nuclear energy for the benefit of society. Its mission covers a wide range of fields, including nuclear safety, nuclear fuel cycle technologies, radiation applications, and fundamental nuclear science. One of JAEA’s important focuses is the development of fast reactor technologies, which are expected to play a key role in sustainable energy systems by improving fuel efficiency and reducing radioactive waste. Through cutting-edge research and international collaboration, JAEA contributes to the advancement of fast reactor technologies as part of Japan’s long-term energy strategy.
This agreement marks an important step in newcleo’s licensing and development roadmap. Access to real-world irradiation environments will provide critical data on core and structural materials performance under the specific characteristics of fast reactors. The results will support the deployment of newcleo’s LFR-AS-30 reactor and fuel manufacturing pilot line, which are currently in the licensing process in France.
The collaboration will also complement ongoing R&D activities at the ENEA Brasimone Research Centre (Bologna, Italy), where newcleo is testing material resistance to corrosion and erosion in lead-cooled systems.
“JAEA’s expertise is a global reference point in fast reactor technology, with a track record of operation and research dating back to 1977,” said Stefano Buono, CEO of newcleo. “We are pleased to begin this collaboration with JAEA’s highly experienced research teams and to access their world-class facilities. Testing materials in an operational fast reactor is a unique opportunity that will provide us with invaluable data for the development and licensing of our LFRs, and for advancing next generation nuclear technology in general.”
Masanori Koguchi, president of JAEA, said, “It is a great privilege to contribute to newcleo’s development of innovative fast reactor technology. Through our collaboration, we hope to advance research and development in fast reactors and play a part in building a more sustainable society.”
Since launching in 2021 newcleo has quickly established itself as innovator in the field of nuclear energy. newcleo is working to design, build, and operate Gen-IV Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) that are cooled by liquid lead and fuelled by reprocessed nuclear waste. The company, using a combination of existing and proven technologies, is reviving a nuclear industry model based on the manufacture and multi-recycling of Mixed Oxide fuel, aiming to close the nuclear fuel cycle while safely producing clean, affordable, and practically inexhaustible energy required for low-carbon economies.
Newcleo has a workforce of more than 1,100 employees across France, Italy, Switzerland, Slovakia and the UK.
—POWER edited this content, which was contributed by newcleo’s communications team.
