Finnish advanced nuclear company Steady Energy Oy and utility Alva-yhtiöt Oy, which provides water and energy services in the city of Jyväskylä, south-central Finland, have signed a letter of intent on producing nuclear district heating.

The purpose of the letter of intent is to study the suitability of Steady Energy’s LDR-50 small nuclear heating plant for producing the city’s district heating, and to assess potential sites and the construction timetable.

The agreement covers two to six nuclear reactors, which would produce 100-300 MW of heat for the city’s district heating network.

Under the agreement, the companies are launching a year-long preliminary study which will assess the feasibility of small nuclear heating plants in Jyväskylä from the perspectives of regulation, residents’ views, potential sites, land-use planning, technology and costs. After this phase, the companies might proceed to concrete technical and commercial pre-planning.