According to VTT, the project aims to create a new Finnish industrial sector around the SMR technology and the production of needed components for the plant.
VTT said the first phase of the project will focus on the conceptual design of an SMR plant suited for the heating networks of Finnish cities.
Nuclear district heating is a system for distributing heat generated in a nuclear station through a network of insulated pipes for residential and commercial heating.
The heat is obtained from cogeneration (the process of producing electricity from steam) in nuclear power plants or from heat-only nuclear units. A “heat-only” power plant does not produce electric power, just heat energy.
SMR projects are generally planned for power production or as energy sources for high-temperature industrial processes.
VTT said it wants to develop a plant tailored for producing district heat, which would be cost-effective and simplified,
Nuclear energy is the single largest source of electricity in Finland. According to IAEA statistics, nuclear share is more than 30% of the domestic production.
