As part of the COP29 climate conference in Baku, the USA and Ukraine announced the launch of three new projects in the field of small modular reactors (SMRs) with a total funding of $30 million.
That’s according to the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.
It is noted that the partnership will be implemented as part of the FIRST program (Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology).
“The program envisages the implementation of three interrelated projects: the construction of a pilot plant for the production of pure hydrogen and ammonia (Pure Fuel project), the conversion of coal-fired power plants to SMRs (Phoenix project), and the development of a road map for the decarbonization of the steel industry with the help of SMRs (Pure Steel),” the report says.
The projects will involve leading energy companies and research facilities from Ukraine and the USA.
The Ministry of Energy recalled that SMR technology boasts significant advantages over traditional nuclear power plants due to modular production, easy transportation, increased safety, and lower initial investment. The development of this technology is considered an important element of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, which will contribute to energy security and decarbonization of the economy.
As reported, Energoatom specialists were invited to participate in the project group that will work on the deployment of the SMR-300 small modular reactor at the Palisades NPP site, which will be executed by Holtec International.
