The world’s first fast neutron nuclear reactor is a step closer to reality following a €23m funding round.
French start-up Stellaria has announced it has raised a further €23m to build a new kind of nuclear reactor called Stellarium in Grenoble, France.
This brings the company’s total funding to €33m, including €10m through the France 2030 program.
Founded in 2023 as a spin-off from the French nuclear research commission CEA and energy management company Schneider Electric, Stellaria has been raising investment to build the Stellarium fast neutron molten salt reactor.
This fourth-generation reactor will be capable of operating in a closed fuel cycle using molten salt technology and nuclear isogeneration.
It has a target capacity of 110MWe (110 megawatts of usable electric power) – enough to power roughly 250,000 homes or supply a large industrial site annually.
The reactor is designed to operate for over 20 years without refuelling. It will also significantly reduce long-lived nuclear waste...