At the beginning of 2023, the EDF Group created its subsidiary NUWARD: an agile and bold company dedicated to the development of its Small Modular Reactor
The EDF Group has 60 years of experience in the design, licensing, construction and operation of nuclear technology worldwide. This expertise enables NUWARD to offer a robust and reliable industrialisation plan to deliver a safe product, based on proven technologies and a controlled fuel cycle. Backed by industrial partners and European working groups, NUWARD aims to launch the commercialisation of its SMR during the 2030s, with a first-of-a-kind unit built in France or elsewhere in Europe.
Julien Garrel,
Executive President of NUWARD
NUWARD is an exciting, entrepreneurial human adventure. Our ambition is to position nuclear as a multi-energy solution (electricity and heat), fully capable of meeting the expectations of the market and industry in France, across Europe and beyond.
To support the conditions for deploying its SMR, NUWARD is actively engaged at the European level
INAB: recommendations from high-level experts
The International NUWARD Advisory Board brings together high-level representatives from leading international organizations. The insights provided by the INAB contribute to our ambition to develop an SMR solution that meets the needs of future users and operators.
JER: early discussions with 6 regulators
Launched in 2022 by EDF, the Joint Early Review is an innovative initiative consisting of a joint pre-assessment of NUWARD SMR. Initially conducted by three safety authorities, this joint review is now being carried out by six European regulators and their technical support staff. These discussions, conducted upstream and outside any formal licensing process, are essential. They enable us to better anticipate the expectations of countries in terms of design choices, so as to have a standardized plant that can be exported to Europe.
The European Industrial Alliance for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
EDF and NUWARD play an active role as members of the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs, established by the European Commission in 2024. The NUWARD SMR project is among the nine designs selected by the Alliance out of 28 applications and benefits from a dedicated working group.
NUWARD and EDF also take part in all technical working groups – Supply Chain, industrial applications, financing… with a strong commitment to turning the opportunities offered by SMRs in Europe into reality and establishing a robust framework to facilitate their deployment.
A strong backing of the French Government
NUWARD benefits from strategic support from the French State under the France 2030 plan, dedicated to accelerating the development of innovative, low-power nuclear reactors. This support takes the form of a €300 million envelope, disbursed progressively as the project reaches its technical and industrial milestones. This financing mechanism represents a decisive step towards making our industrial ambition a reality.
