Korean interest in Finnish heating SMR

"Under the brand slogan 'Better World with Clean Energy', we will collaborate with Steady Energy to provide carbon-free heat and lead the way in stabilising the national energy grid and achieving carbon neutrality," said Korea District Heating Corporation’s President and CEO Jeong Yong-ki.

"The ten-million-strong Seoul metropolitan area is keeping a sharp eye on Helsinki's progress in adopting small nuclear," said Steady Energy CEO Tommi Nyman. "Many are particularly interested in the fact that our facility is built underground, which makes clean heat practical in dense cities. It turns out that many of the hurdles in decarbonising urban heating stem from plant size. Finland is closely followed as the first country with proven final disposal. South Korea has superb nuclear operating expertise and supply chains."

_{(Image; Steady Energy)}

Steady Energy says its 10-metre-high small modular reactor (SMR) is built underground and is well-suited for dense urban areas, where it fits into existing industrial areas, operates without emissions and eliminates the need for fuel-delivery logistics.

Steady Energy was spun out of Finland's VTT Technical Research Centre in 2023. Its LDR-50 SMR, with a thermal output of 50 MW, is designed to operate at around 150°C. Unlike most SMRs being developed around the world, it is not designed to generate electricity - or electricity and heat. Instead, it is designed to only produce heat and is focused on district heating, as well as industrial steam production and desalination projects.

The company has already signed agreements for 15 reactors in Finland, with its reactor design currently being assessed by the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. The aim is for construction of the first plant - to be the clean energy source for a district heating scheme - to begin in 2029.