Scientists at Poland’s National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) have developed a concept for the centre’s high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR-POLA) demonstrator project, advancing a technology that is expected to become the basis for commercial reactors to be used in Polish industry, a statement said.

According to the statement, the HTGR-POLA, which could be operational in the 2030s, builds on decades of expertise from Poland’s Maria research reactor and Japan’s high temperature engineering test reactor project.

NCBJ said the project is “currently at a high level of technological readiness”, including the basic design with a significant part of a preliminary safety report already prepared. The documentation is needed for licensing, further design work and the start of construction and commissioning.