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HeadlineENERGY

Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor Modular Nuclear Plant LFR-300 Gets UK Approval: Passive Safety Design Requires No External Power for Automatic Shutdown

UK nuclear startup Newcleos lead-cooled fast reactor LFR-300 receives UK nuclear regulatory approval for construction. The 300MW modular reactor uses liquid lead coolant and can automatically shut down and cool through natural convection even with complete loss of external power.

UK nuclear startup Newcleo announced on November 2 that its lead-cooled fast reactor LFR-300 has received construction approval from the UK Office for Nuclear Regulation. This is the first lead-cooled fast reactor commercial project approved for construction globally.

The LFR-300 has a thermal output of 300MW and an electrical output of approximately 120MW. Unlike conventional pressurized water reactors, the LFR-300 uses liquid lead as a coolant. Leads melting point is 327 degrees Celsius and boiling point is 1,749 degrees Celsius, meaning that even if cooling systems fail entirely, the lead will not boil and the reactor can maintain cooling through natural convection.

Newcleo CEO Stefano Buono emphasized the passive safety features at the London launch. The LFR-300 requires no external power supply, no human intervention, and no cooling water injection. In the most severe accident scenario, the reactor will automatically shut down and cool through natural air convection without any external support.

Additionally, the LFR-300 employs a fast neutron spectrum design that can use residual uranium-238 and plutonium from spent fuel, theoretically raising nuclear fuel utilization from less than 1% in conventional reactors to over 90%. Newcleo plans to build the first LFR-300 near the Sellafield nuclear facility in northern England, with operation expected by 2032.

The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero stated the LFR-300 project is a critical component of the UKs 2050 net-zero target. Total project investment is approximately 2.8 billion pounds, with 1.5 billion pounds in loan guarantees from the UK Infrastructure Bank.

However, material compatibility in lead-cooled fast reactors remains an engineering challenge. Liquid lead corrodes steel, requiring special alloys for reactor vessels and piping. Newcleo stated it has collaborated with Nippon Steel to develop a proprietary lead-resistant steel alloy, completing over 20,000 hours of material durability testing.