A unique, low-carbon solution for industry, Blue Capsule technology will decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors where electrification cannot.

UNIQUE NUCLEAR HEAT FOR THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Blue Capsule is a compact, small modular reactor. One capsule = up to 150 MWth of 700°C industrial-grade heat. Each module is a polyvalent solution, also yielding electricity and high-temperature steam if needed.

Blue Capsule is a polyvalent solution that can decarbonise your chemical industry site, easing the transition from fossil fuels. One capsule can provide a combination of industrial-grade heat (up to 700°C), electricity, and high-temperature steam as needed.

Blue Capsule’s innovation is the combination of two mature technologies: high-temperature reactors (HTR) and sodium-cooled reactors. It's a robust, powerful, and safe combination.

Blue Capsule components are mainstays of the nuclear industry supply chain in OECD countries, and are fully familiar to national safety authorities. Our project is based on solutions already used by the French nuclear industry.

Blue Capsule is a spin-off project of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and has been awarded funding from the French public investment bank BPI France under the French government's "innovative nuclear reactors" call for projects.

THE LATEST ON BLUE CAPSULE

03 APR 2024 | Episode 2 of the Blue Nuclear Pod got into the legal issues behind small modular reactors. With Ximena Vásquez-Maignan, the pod covered... [>>]

21 MAR 2024 | Blue Capsule joined hundreds of delegates from across the planet at the first ever Nuclear Energy Summit, co-chaired by IAEA Director General Rafael... [>>]

27 NOV 2023 | Under the aegis of the France2030 programme by the French Government, Blue Capsule has been awarded EUR 9.1 million under the “Innovative Nuclear … [>>]

NUCLEAR ENERGY ON AN INDUSTRIAL SITE? WHAT ABOUT SAFETY?

The Blue Capsule design provides enough power for a chemical industry site, in a compact solution that is co-localised underground. This solution means maximum protection against any external hazards.

Preliminary analyses of external hazards have already confirmed the full integrity and safety of a Blue Capsule in the event of extreme circumstances. For example, modelling demonstrates that an event such as the 2001 AZF factory explosion would - at a distance of just 250 metres away - not have impacted the integrity of our compact, underground Blue Capsule module.

With a Blue Capsule small modular reactor, core melt is impossible because Blue Capsule features TRISO fuel (the most robust fuel in the world) in a naturally circulating sodium pool that operates at atmospheric pressure.

WHO CAN DEPLOY BLUE CAPSULE? POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS

The 150 MWth-capacity of one Blue Capsule module is the compromise between the typical power needs of a large chemical industry site (most would usually require between 300 to 900 MWth), and the simplicity of our design. Here are just some examples of the chemical processes to which the Blue Capsule solution is particularly suited:

Soda carbonate (soda ash) production

As a major soda ash production site, you need to decarbonise in line with (inter)national regulations, while staying competitive. Blue Capsule can cover your needs and help keep plants operational.

Ammonia production

How much ammonia do you produce? Blue Capsule allows you to keep existing ammonia production and fully decarbonise it. No more dependence on fossil fuels.

Hydrogen-ready industries

High-temperature electrolysis

Blue Capsule will produce steam for solid oxide electrolyer cells (SOEC) at high temperature, thereby significantly reducing the cost of green hydrogen production. Moreover, combining Blue Capsule heat with renewable electricity would allow for further cost reductions in the production of hydrogen.

Conversion of biomass/ (bio)methane

Through the pyrolysis of biomass, Blue Capsule makes it possible for industry to extract maximum value from agricultural waste. It can also enable the pyrolysis of methane, producing hydrogen by using low-carbon heat and electricity from Blue Capsule. These traditional technologies could be decarbonised with Blue Capsule.

Thermochemical processes

The combination of Blue Capsule modules and renewable power could also be used for prospective Cu-Cl processes for hydrogen production, offering significant energy and cost savings.