France-based small modular reactor (SMR) startup Blue Capsule Technology has chosen CSTI Group for the design and construction of a test qualification loop, to be used in testing all thermo-hydraulic aspects of the reactor’s various components.
Blue Capsule said it is developing a high-temperature sodium-cooled 150-MWt SMR that can produce industrial-grade heat to 750°C, vapour to 650°C, and 50 MWe of electricity.
The company said its reactor design is targeting hard-to-abate sectors, such as ammonia and soda ash production, and industries that require industrial-grade heat and steam for hydrogen production.
The reactor optimised for deployment in arid environments, as it doesn't require water cooling, and its modular nature allows for cost-effective manufacturing and deployment, the company has said.
The Blue Capsule experimental loop will be built in 2025, with a series of tests planned for the end of 2025, a statement said.
The operation of this loop will take several years, before the commissioning of Blue Capsule’s non-nuclear prototype, expected by the end of 2028.
According to Alexey Lokhov, co-founder and chief technology officer at Blue Capsule, the project will serve as a demonstrator for the company’s concept as this first loop is expected to provide “valuable data not only for our project but for the nuclear sector more broadly”.
Domnin Erard, Blue Capsule's nuclear architect, said the loop tests will involve the natural circulation of liquid sodium at high temperatures and will be followed by a second phase testing the sodium-air heat exchangers and various materials.
Blue Capsule Technology was founded in November 2022. The company is a spin-off from France's Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
In May 2024, Blue Capsule agreed with CEA to extend the support to fields including equipment and components, materials, and Triso (tristructural-isotropic)-based fuel.
In July 2024, the company announced new investment of €2m ($2.1m) in its high-temperature SMR project.