Finnish nuclear startup Steady Energy is set to start construction of its first LDR-50 district heating small modular nuclear (SMR) pilot plant in Finland next year.
The company said potential sites include the Finnish capital Helsinki and two other cities.
The construction of the first operational plant is projected to begin by 2028, with the first unit expected to be operational by 2030.
The pilot plant – the first of its kind in Finland and one of only a few close to deployment globally – will serve as a full-scale, operational model of the Finnish-designed SMR unit.
Unlike the actual power plant, the pilot unit will use an electric element to produce heat inside the reactor capsule instead of nuclear fuel.
Steady Energy said the main purpose is to test operational features and to establish the supply chains needed to build actual plants.
Site Decision Expected By End Of Summer
The pilot investment is estimated to be around €15m-€20m ($16m-$22m). Steady Energy said final evaluations of potential sites are underway, with a decision expected by the end of summer.
Following this, detailed planning and tendering for construction will begin. After the testing phase, the facility will be used for training and research purposes.
Proposed locations for the pilot plant include the Salmisaari caves near Helsinki, the Huuhanmäki caves in the eastern Finnish regional centre of Kuopio, and power plant sites at Kymijärvi and Teivaanmäki in Lahti, a regional capital in southern Finland.
Steady Energy’s unit, comparable in size to an upright shipping container, can be built entirely underground or on an existing industrial site.
The company has already signed letters of intent for the delivery of up to 15 reactors for district heating with Helsinki’s local utility Helen and Kuopio Energy in Eastern Finland.
Finland is largely heated by district heating, mostly from fossil fuels, peat and wood. District heating systems take energy released as heat from a range of energy sources – in this case an SMR – and connect it to energy consumers through a system of highly insulated pipes. One advantage of SMRs would be their low emissions.
“Finland is taking significant strides towards a carbon-neutral future,” said Steady Energy chief executive officer Tommi Nyman.
“Our emission targets are transitioning from mere plans to practical actions. These actions will also soon result in cleaner air in our cities.”
The LDR-50, which has a thermal output of 50 MW, has been under development at Finland’s VTT technical research centre since 2020. Steady Energy was spun out from VTT in 2023.
Steady Energy says the plant’s operating conditions are less demanding compared with those of traditional reactors and affordable enough for municipal utilities to invest in independently.
