Orano and Calogena announce a strategic partnership for the development of nuclear for low-carbon urban heating

At the World Nuclear Exhibition (WNE), the leading international trade show for the civil nuclear industry, Orano and Calogena announced the signature of a partnership agreement to strengthen their collaboration on the "CAL30" small modular reactor project. Developed by Calogena, the CAL30 is a next-generation light-water reactor, classified as an SMR (Small Modular Reactor), with a thermal capacity of 30 MW. It is specifically designed to supply low-carbon energy to urban heating networks, thus meeting the challenges of the energy transition and decarbonization at regional and local level.

This partnership confirms a shared desire to decarbonize urban heating in Europe thanks to a tried-and-tested, safe and competitive nuclear technology.

The agreement in particular covers the development of a used nuclear fuel transport cask adapted to fuel for Calogena's CAL30 reactor. The "TN Eagle" transportation solution, already commercially available from Orano, will be used as the baseline for this development. The TN Eagle, with its innovative design and modular structure, is a packaging model designed for the transportation and dry storage of used fuel from nuclear power plants throughout the world. The agreement also envisages the study of solutions for filtration and purification processes, capitalizing on Orano's experience in interim fuel storage pools.

Calogena is already involved in five projects in France and in Finland, and, in August 2025, announced the launch of studies for the installation of a CAL30 module at the CEA's center in Cadarache (Bouches-du-Rhône, France). 

Jacques Peythieu, Orano's Senior Executive Vice President, Customers and Strategy declared: "Orano, convinced of the essential role that nuclear energy has to play in the decarbonization of urban heating, is delighted to be strengthening its collaboration with Calogena. This aim of this partnership is to adapt Orano's industrial solutions to support Calogena’s development."

Julien Dereux, CEO of Calogena, added: "We are delighted to cooperate more closely with Orano, a leading player in the nuclear industry. This collaboration is in particular going to enable Calogena to offer its customers in France and in Europe a solution for the transportation and storage of used fuel, a key element of our value proposition."