Fortum to help develop Finnish SMR for district heating

Apros, the result of decades of development work by Fortum and Finland's state-owned VTT Technical Research Centre, is an advanced software product for modelling and dynamic simulation of power plants, energy systems and industrial processes. Apros products and services have been sold in more than 30 countries around the world to a wide range of users: EPC project suppliers, equipment manufacturers, energy companies, engineering firms, research institutes and universities.

Fortum will use this software to create a digital twin - or simulation model - of the LDR-50 to enable Steady Energy to carry out comparison analyses related to the licensing of district heating reactors in Finland. In addition, the Apros model will be used to solve technical issues related to the functionality and dimensioning of the new plant type.

"We are very pleased that Steady Energy wants to use dynamic simulation to ensure their design quality and has chosen Fortum to support their project," said Toni Salminen, Director, Sales at Fortum, Apros product area. "The Apros software, developed jointly by Fortum and VTT, is suitable for the modelling needs of a nuclear power plant throughout the nuclear power life cycle, both for verifying the initial design material and for supporting the commissioning of the plant. For us, cooperation with Steady Energy offers an interesting opportunity to utilise our decades of power plant expertise in the development of new small-scale nuclear power."

"For Steady Energy, this is a significant partnership and a great opportunity to utilise Fortum's expertise in the development of a Finnish reactor," said Steady Energy CEO Tommi Nyman.

Steady Energy was spun out of VTT in 2023 and is developing the LDR-50 small modular reactor (SMR) with a thermal output of 50 MW, designed to operate at around 150°C. Unlike most small modular reactors being developed around the world, it is not designed to generate electricity - or electricity and heat. Instead, it is designed to only produce heat and is focused on district heating, as well as industrial steam production and desalination projects.

The company has already signed agreements for 15 reactors in Finland, with its reactor design currently being assessed by the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). The aim is for construction of the first plant - to be the clean energy source for a district heating scheme - to begin in 2029.

In December, Steady Energy signed a contract with Belgian engineering firm Tractebel to provide engineering services to develop its LDR-150 SMR.