Swedish lead-cooled small modular reactor (SMR) technology developer Blykalla said it is participating in a new project focused on integrating SMRs with thermochemical processes to produce renewable materials, like bio-coal and bio-oil, which can then be used to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy efficiency in Sweden’s steel and chemical industries.

The project is a collaborative effort between academia - RISE Research Institutes of Sweden (which is leading the project) and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology - and relevant industry actors steel producer SSAB, Blykalla and bio-coal producer Envigas. Funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, the project has received a substantial investment of over SEK10 million (USD967,000 million) and is set to start in December.

Blykalla said the project focuses on leveraging the heat generated by SMRs to power thermochemical processes such as pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonisation. The objective is to produce renewable materials that can replace fossil-based products in the steel and chemical industries, thus significantly reducing carbon emissions and enhancing energy efficiency. By coupling SMRs with these processes, the project aims to maximise resource efficiency and contribute to Sweden’s ambitious target of becoming fossil-free by 2045.

“This effort is expected to support the broader industrial transition to fossil-free processes, particularly in sectors that are traditionally heavy carbon emitters, like steel production,” it added. “The results are anticipated to have far-reaching implications, providing a model for other countries and industries looking to reduce their carbon emissions and enhance energy efficiency.”

Blykalla - formerly called LeadCold - is a spin-off from KTH in Stockholm, where lead-cooled reactor systems have been under development since 1996. The company - founded in 2013 as a joint stock company - is developing the SEALER (Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor. A demonstration SEALER (SEALER-D) is planned to have a thermal output of 80 MW. As in future commercial reactors from Blykalla, the fuel rods will be cooled by 800 tonnes of liquid lead. The reactor will have a height and diameter of about 5 metres.

Blykalla’s goal is for its first 140 MWt SEALER-55 commercial reactor to be ready for operation by 2030.