The collaboration brings together Blykalla’s advanced reactor technology with Switzerland-based Hitachi Energy’s expertise in electrification, grid integration, and energy industry software to support the integration of reliable, fossil-free power into future energy systems. Through the MoU, the companies will jointly optimise the electrical and grid integration design for Blykalla’s reactor type, covering transmission-level connection, on-site electrical systems, and digital monitoring. It also enables Hitachi Energy to integrate its offering into a standard solution for small modular reactors (SMRs).
Focus areas include, but are not limited to, conceptual designs for grid connection and network integration, on-site electrical architecture, digital tools for construction and operation, and a combined offering for customers with the highest, most constant power demands, beginning with data centres and energy-intensive industry.
“By integrating Blykalla’s power generation with Hitachi Energy’s solutions for electrical infrastructure, the collaboration aims to accelerate the commercialisation and deployment of advanced nuclear solutions across Europe and the United States,” Hitachi Energy said.
“As we move toward commercialisation, this collaboration strengthens our ability to deliver complete energy solutions,” said Blykalla CEO Jacob Stedman. “Hitachi Energy’s expertise in electrification makes them a strong partner to help bring our technology to market, and positions us to meet the growing global demand for clean, reliable power.”
Tobias Hansson, Country Managing Director of Hitachi Energy Sweden, added: “We need reliable and low-carbon power solutions that can be integrated efficiently into the energy system as electricity demand continues to grow across industry and digital infrastructure. By combining Blykalla’s innovative reactor technology with our expertise in electrical infrastructure, we can help enable solutions that support industrial growth and the broader energy transition.”
Blykalla – formerly called LeadCold – is a spin-off from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology 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). The company’s goal is for its first 140 MWt/55 MWe SEALER-55 commercial reactor to be ready for operation in the early 2030s.
In May, Blykalla submitted an application to the government to construct a power plant in Norrsundet, Gävle, in east central Sweden, comprising six SEALER reactors. The proposed plant will have a total generating capacity of 330 MWe. Earlier this month, the company applied for government financing for the plant.
