Blue Capsule progresses to Phase 2 of technical dialogue with France’s nuclear safety authority.

“Our progression to this new phase marks an important milestone for Blue Capsule and reaffirms the value of technical exchanges with the ASNR. This …”

MAY 2025 | Our work continues! Blue Capsule has now progressed to Phase 2 of our technical dialogue with France’s nuclear safety authority, the ASNR - Autorité de sûreté nucléaire et de radioprotection. This is part of the preparatory framework offered to the developers of France’s small modular reactors (#SMRs). 

Based on the exchanges that took place during Phase 1, the ASNR concluded that the overall maturity of the project (a sound technical concept, human resources enabling substantive technical dialogue, and sufficient financial guarantees to support medium-term development) was sufficient to allow progression to Phase 2 (known as “preparatory review” of the project). 

This new phase consists of a “cycle of meetings that enable the ASNR, through presentations and technical dialogue, to gain an overall view of the project, to understand its design choices, to take stock of the state of knowledge available (or to be acquired), and to understand the main safety orientations” on which Blue Capsule intends to base its safety demonstration and justification(s). 

Aurélie Lorin (Security & Licensing Director at Blue Capsule) said: 

“Our progression to this new phase marks an important milestone for Blue Capsule and reaffirms the value of technical exchanges with the ASNR. This type of exchange is essential not only for us, but for the entire French SMR ecosystem.” 

ASNR’s dialogue and review framework is structured into five phases: 

Phase 1 – Screening phase: preliminary exchanges aimed at assessing the overall (minimum) maturity of the project. 

 Phase 2 – Preparatory review: a series of thematic meetings  concerning the main safety orientations and the associated safety demonstration. 

 Phase 3 – Pre-licensing: initial technical assessments can begin – it enables the positions of the regulator to be obtained on a jointly agreed list of high-stakes subjects highlighted during the preparatory review phase. 

 Phase 4 – Review of the 'Construction Licence Application' (or “DAC” in French): the formal regulatory phase required for the creation of a basic nuclear installation. 

 Phase 5 – Review of the 'Operating Licence Application': the regulatory phase following DAC approval and post-construction of the basic nuclear installation, required to commission the facility. 

Blue Capsule is a high-temperature reactor (#HTR) designed to deliver industrial heat and steam to energy-intensive sectors -- where electrification is not feasible or economically viable. 

Sodium-cooled, this reactor is engineered to provide up to 150 MWth of heat at 700°C in the form of hot air, steam up to 650°C, or up to 50 MWe of electricity. 

It uses TRISO fuel combined with a natural circulation sodium loop operating at atmospheric pressure.