Newcleo’s SRS Secures EUR 36 Million Deal to Build Romanian Lead‑Cooled Reactor Test Facilities

SRS wins EUR 36 million contract to build lead‑cooled test facilities – SRS Servizi di Ricerche e Sviluppo, a Newcleo subsidiary, has been awarded a EUR 36 million (USD 42 million) contract by Romania’s state‑owned nuclear R&D coordinator RATEN to design, supply and commission three lead‑cooled reactor research installations, with delivery scheduled for the end of 2028 [1].

Facilities include HELENA‑2 loop, ELF pool and fuel‑interaction modules – The contract covers a liquid lead loop‑type facility named HELENA‑2, a liquid lead pool‑type facility called ELF, and confined modules for studying interactions between liquid lead and both irradiated and non‑irradiated fuels during accident scenarios; Italy’s ENEA agency will act as subcontractor [1].

RATEN will own facilities to advance Romania’s lead‑cooled reactor roadmap – Located at RATEN’s Mioveni site, the new infrastructure will enable investigations of thermal‑hydraulic behavior, material performance and component qualification in liquid lead systems, supporting Romania’s plan to deploy lead‑cooled fast reactor technology and to deepen its role in next‑generation nuclear systems [1].

Project ties into EU‑funded ALFRED demonstration reactor effort – The facilities form part of the broader European Union‑funded ALFRED (Advanced Lead Fast Reactor European Demonstrator) programme, which envisions a 300 MWt lead‑cooled fast reactor at the Nuclear Research Institute in Mioveni, using MOX fuel, operating around 550 °C, featuring passive safety, and costing roughly EUR 1 billion [1].

Newcleo cites contract as proof of EPC capability and integration – Newcleo, the France‑based innovative reactor developer, said the agreement strengthens its engineering‑procurement‑construction (EPC) offering and showcases its ability to deliver complex nuclear projects; CEO Stefano Buono added that vertical integration of key suppliers differentiates Newcleo and that the contract generates short‑term revenue while long‑term reactor and fuel projects progress [1].

SRS recently completed OTHELLO test loop and is building PRECURSOR – To support Newcleo’s advanced reactor R&D, SRS finished installing OTHELLO, a 2 MW lead‑test loop for component and material qualification, and is currently installing PRECURSOR, a 10 MW pool‑type non‑nuclear test system slated for completion in 2026 at ENEA’s Brasimone Research Centre near Bologna, Italy [1].