Estonian developer Fermi Energia and Finland’s Steady Energy are exploring the deployment of small nuclear reactors for district heating in Germany, arguing that the country’s nuclear legislation may not explicitly prohibit reactors used solely for heat production.

The initiative, based on a recent agreement between the companies, would centre on Steady Energy’s 50-MWt LDR-50 district heating reactor and is being discussed with German industrial partners through a joint venture, Fermi Deutsche Industriekraft.