Project Working Groups (PWGs) assessment under the European Industrial Alliance on SMRs The European Industrial Alliance on SMRs convened its second General Assembly in Brussels on 1 September 2025, where members adopted the Alliance’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP). The SAP sets out an ambitious five‑year roadmap that channels the Alliance’s activities to targeted support toward the Project Working Groups (PWGs), established in October 2024, helping them progress from design to demonstrator and, ultimately, to full deployment.

 

As proposed by the Alliance’s Governing Board last year and set out in the SAP, the progress of the PWGs must be assessed on a regular basis. These assessments will verify that the PWGs continuously meet the criteria defined in the Alliance’s Terms of Reference (ToR) and will allow the Governing Board to issue specific recommendations.

 

The criteria concern particularly the added‑value generated for the European economy; the breadth of support from a diverse range of European stakeholders; and the compliance with the EU legislative framework, in particular the Euratom Programme regulations and the EU’s net‑zero objectives. It should be recalled that the assessment did not discriminate against project proposals based on any technological or maturity aspects.

 

All nine PWGs identified last year were invited to provide updated information and to present to the Governing Board how they continue to fulfil, and how they have improved their compliance with the criteria set out in Annex 1 of the Terms of Reference, compared with the previous assessment. The assessment meeting was organised on 10-11 September 2025; all PWGs have participated in this assessment process except one.

 

The assessment confirmed that eight PWGs (Nuward (EDF), European BWRX-300 SMR (OSGE), RollsRoyce SMR (Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd), CityHeat (Calogena, Steady Energy), NuScale VOYGR™ SMR (RoPower Nuclear S.A), EAGLES (Ansaldo Nucleare, SCK-CEN, ENEA, RATEN); European LFR AS Project (newcleo) and Thorizon One project (Thorizon) continue to meet the criteria set out in the Terms of Reference and have made tangible progress since June 2024, albeit at different rates. Another project (Project Quantum (Last Energy)) decided not to participate in the assessment, and the Governing Board has taken the decision to suspend this PWG pending clarification of the project’s status. To maintain confidentiality, each project received a detailed assessment report containing targeted recommendations for improvement.

 

Having endorsed its Strategic Action Plan (SAP) in early September and guided by the SAP Top Ten Actions, the Alliance has to focus its efforts on targeted support to these PWGs through its TWGs, according to their individual needs and taking into account these significant achievements. In addition, the Governing Board encourages further support from EU and Member States’ bodies.