Cambridge Vacuum Engineering has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Cambridge Atomworks – the nuclear engineering start-up focused on delivering a nuclear micro-reactor built in the UK. The two companies will explore use of advanced electron beam welding to manufacture critical components for ODIN micro-reactor project.
As Cambridge Atomworks continues with developing a micro, transportable nuclear fission reactor for use in off-grid applications, the two companies will explore how best to make use of CVE’s expertise in electron beam welding, including its ‘Ebflow’ technology, which has been shown to dramatically accelerate the production of critical nuclear power components including reactor vessels and internals.
Cambridge Atomworks is aiming to have an operational prototype of its ODIN reactor by 2031, with the ambition of being a trusted global supplier of clean, sustainable energy to off-grid customers by the mid-2030s. The ODIN low-pressure reactor uses solid nuclear fuel and molten salt coolant and is designed as a transportable, standalone power system. It is manufactured largely off-site and deployed with minimal supporting infrastructure. Potential applications for ODIN include mining operations, remote and island communities, developing markets and other off-grid industrial users where reliable power can otherwise be expensive or logistically difficult to provide.
Ian Farnan, CEO at Cambridge Atomworks, said: “Building the next generation of nuclear technology in the UK requires world-class manufacturing capabilities. Our agreement with CVE is an important step in developing the supply chain and manufacturing approach needed to make our micro-reactor technology a reality. Electron beam welding has the potential to transform how key reactor components are manufactured.”
Chris Punshon, director of R&D and Applications at CVE, said: “The benefits of our Ebflow technology to the manufacture of large-scale nuclear pressure vessels and other pieces of energy infrastructure is already proven. Our work with Cambridge Atomworks will examine how these capabilities can be applied to its ODIN micro-reactor manufacturing strategy while meeting the stringent quality, safety and regulatory requirements of the nuclear sector.”
