The revival of nuclear power in France no longer involves only large reactors. For several years, the State has also sought to bring about a new generation of nuclear technologies driven by startups and manufacturers. It is within this framework that the program falls France 2030which aims to support the emergence of innovative reactors, more compact and capable of producing not only electricity, but also heat or hydrogen.
This system functions as a progressive support mechanism. Several projects are supported at different stages of maturity, but everyone knows that the number of technologies that will actually be deployed will remain limited. The program thus acts both as a lever for innovation and as an industrial selection tool.
A call for projects to structure a new generation of reactors
The program France 2030launched in 2021, includes a section dedicated to innovative nuclear reactorswith a dedicated envelope intended to support small-scale concepts and technologies likely to improve waste management or the flexibility of energy uses. (
In this context, the State has launched a call for projects aimed at creating an ecosystem of nuclear startups. Eleven companies were ultimately selected and benefited from financial support and technical support, in particular from the Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA).
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These projects include Blue Capsule, Calogena, Hexana, Otrera Nuclear Energy, Renaissance Fusion and Jimmy Energy.
These initiatives cover varied technological approaches, some of which seek to develop new types of reactors to produce electricity and others focus on more specific industrial uses, such as heat production.
A technological competition in a sector in restructuring
The emergence of these projects comes in an international context marked by a renewed interest in nuclear power. Small modular reactors, generally called SMR For small modular reactorsare presented by several governments as an avenue for renewing the nuclear industry and complementing large traditional power plants.
These reactors, whose power is generally between a few tens and a few hundred megawatts, are designed to be manufactured in a more standardized manner and deployed on industrial sites or local energy networks.
However, their development remains faced with several uncertainties: financing, industrial maturity, local acceptability and economic viability. Public authorities are aware of this, which is why the French approach consists of supporting several avenues simultaneously before concentrating resources on the projects deemed the most solid.
Many projects, but a progressive selection
The France 2030 call for projects was never intended as uniform funding for all concepts. It is more of a continuing education process.
In a first phase, the objective is to support research and design. The selected projects receive public funding and technical support in order to demonstrate the feasibility of their technologies.
In a second phase, public authorities observe the progress of the projects: technological maturity, capacity to structure an industrial chain, economic credibility and industrialization prospects.
This approach is inspired by mechanisms already used in other strategic sectors, where the State finances several initiatives before favoring those which manage to pass the technical and industrial stages.
Jimmy Energy, a project focused on industrial heat
In this ecosystem, certain companies stand out by their positioning. This is the case of Jimmy Energy, which develops nuclear thermal generators intended to produce heat for industrial sites. The company starts from a simple observation: a significant part of the energy consumed by industry takes the form of heat, still mainly produced from fossil gas. The project consists of replacing these traditional boilers with a source of nuclear, carbon-free and stable heat, capable of directly supplying industrial processes.
This orientation towards industrial heat corresponds to a use that is often less visible than the production of electricity, but widely used in heavy industry, particularly in chemicals, metallurgy and the food industry.
A phase of industrialization which begins
To continue its development, Jimmy Energy today announces financing of 80 million euros. The operation combines a fundraising of 40 million euros in equityled by Crédit Mutuel Impact with the participation of Ademe Investissement and historical shareholders, and 40 million euros in public support as part of the France 2030 program.
This new financing should allow the company to enter a more industrial phase of its project: detailed design of the reactor with its suppliers, preparation of construction and structuring of its production chain.
The first project is planned for the Cristanol industrial site in Bazancourt, in Marne, with a goal of commissioning in the early 2030s.
A decisive step for innovative nuclear power
The France 2030 program is not limited to financing technological concepts. It also constitutes a learning mechanism for the French nuclear industry.
The multiplication of projects makes it possible to explore different reactor architectures and different energy uses. But as projects advance towards industrialization phases, economic and industrial constraints become more visible.
In this context, the progressive selection carried out by the State aims to concentrate public resources on technologies capable of completing the technical and regulatory stages necessary for the construction of a first demonstrator.
The trajectory of the coming years will make it possible to determine which projects will manage to move from the design phase to that of industrial operation.
Jimmy Energy in brief
Jimmy Energy is a French startup founded by Antoine Guyot and Mathilde Grivet. The company develops nuclear thermal generators intended to produce heat for industrial sites.
The company is today announcing total financing of 80 million euros, made up of a fundraising of 40 million euros led by Crédit Mutuel Impact, with the participation in particular of Ademe Investissement and historical shareholders, and public support of 40 million euros as part of the France 2030 program. This operation brings to more than 60 million euros the private financing raised by the startup since its creation.
