Steady Energy, an Espoo, Finland-based spin-out company from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland that aims to decarbonise the energy-intensive heating industry starting with residential and district heating, raised $2M in Seed funding.
The round was led by VTT, Yes VC and Lifeline Ventures.
The company intends to use the funds to for research and development work to demonstrate the functionality of the plant by building a 1:1 scale mockup powered by electric heat.
Led by CEO Tommi Nyman, Steady Energy is dedicated to providing zero-emission energy solutions. The company aims to build an LDR-50 reactor-based heating plant, that is a type name for a reactor with a heat output of 50MW. Designed to operate at around 150 degrees Celsius and below 10 bar (145 psi), the plant’s operating conditions are less demanding compared to those of traditional reactors, simplifying the technical solutions needed to meet the high safety standards of the nuclear industry.
The LDR-50 reactor module is made of two nested pressure vessels, with their intermediate space partially filled with water. When heat removal through the primary heat exchangers is compromised, water in the intermediate space begins to boil, forming an efficient passive heat transfer route into the reactor pool. The system does not rely on electricity or any mechanical moving parts, which could fail and prevent the cooling function. The innovation was awarded a patent in 2021.
Steady Energy aims to build the world’s first LDR-50 reactor-based heating plant by 2030.
FinSMEs
27/06/2023