The first concrete for Finland’s first small nuclear heating pilot plant was poured today in central Helsinki. The pilot facility, developed by the Finnish nuclear technology developer Steady Energy, is being built inside a former coal-fired power plant. Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala attended the ceremony marking this major milestone.
Helsinki Steady Energy Ltd, a Finnish nuclear developer, has launched the construction of a full‑scale pilot of its LDR‑50 reactor in Salmisaari, Helsinki city centre. The facility is in the turbine hall of a coal-fired power plant that Helen decommissioned a year ago.
The first concrete for the pilot was poured 12th February in the Salmisaari B turbine hall.
“This pilot project advances Finland’s strategic objective of becoming a clean‑energy superpower. Affordable cost and stable production, together with world‑leading technological expertise, form the foundation of our competitiveness,” said Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala, who spoke at the ceremony.
The pilot is a 1:1 full-scale replica of the LDR‑50 small nuclear heating reactor. Instead of a reactor core, the pilot uses an electric resistor that simulates the decay heat produced by an actual reactor. The main purpose of the pilot is to demonstrate that designed safety features operate as designed.
During the testing period, the heat generated as a by-product will be supplied to Helen’s district heating network. The reactor module fits entirely inside the turbine hall and will not be visible in the cityscape.
No nuclear technology developer has previously built a full‑size pilot plant of its reactor before commercial delivery. The project also prepares future supply chains and industrial‑scale deployment.
“The first concrete is a major milestone for all the professionals involved in developing Steady Energy’s small nuclear heating plant. We are one step closer to the first Finnish small nuclear heating facility,” says Tommi Nyman, CEO of Steady Energy.
The LDR‑50 is the size of a shipping container, and the actual facilities will be constructed underground. Steady Energy has several projects underway in Finland, and new projects are also planned in Poland, Sweden and South Korea.
At the beginning of the year, Steady Energy and the Nordic energy company Fortum signed an agreement on exclusive operation and maintenance services in Finland and Sweden, and Fortum invested €2.1 million in Steady Energy as part of its Innovation & Venturing activities.