Quebec-based Prodigy Clean Energy and Serco have partnered on a test program to validate the safety and resilience of Prodigy’s transportable nuclear power plants. Partly funded by a $2 million award from the Canadian government, the project is underway as Prodigy prepares to commercialize the technology by 2030.
Built at maritime facilities, the TNPPs are engineered for rapid deployment at remote or coastal sites with minimal environmental impact and are adaptable to various reactor types and sizes. Serco said the testing program is designed to show that Prodigy’s layered countermeasures can safely contain radioactive materials in extreme conditions. The British multinational firm is leading the assessment of Prodigy’s safety systems, evaluating performance under high-impact situations such as aircraft crashes, ship collisions, severe weather events, seismic activity and missile strikes.
Essential technical data from the initiative will inform licensing processes and support public outreach, both of which are key to advancing the adoption of the new nuclear technology. “Prodigy is completing the real work needed to bring TNPPs to market in North America on schedule,” said Prodigy CEO Mathias Trojer. Serco’s involvement ensures the facilities meet the highest safety standards, he added.
Prodigy’s technology targets off-grid and hard-to-reach locations such as Arctic data centers, military installations and remote mines. Serco joins a development consortium that also includes Lloyd’s Register, Kinectrics, Risktec and C-Job Naval Architects.
The project builds on Serco’s participation in Canadian defense programs. Last year, Vard Marine named Serco a preferred supplier for Team Vigilance, which is developing the Royal Canadian Navy’s future offshore patrol vessels under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.