Fluid Wire Robotics, a start-up specialising in robotics for extreme environments, has announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with Naarea, a company engaged in the development of fourth-generation molten salt and fast neutron micro reactors called Xamr. Naarea’s microreactor can generate 40 MWe and 80 MWth for low or high temperature heat, using long-lived nuclear waste from spent fuel in nuclear power plants as fuel.
The aim of the collaboration is to integrate the robotic arm designed by Fluid Wire Robotics into fuel production processes and automated inspection and maintenance operations for Xamr microreactors, ensuring safety, reliability and automation throughout all stages of the reactor’s life cycle, from fuel production and maintenance to decommissioning.
Fluid Wire Robotics’ proprietary technology is designed to operate reliably in extreme radiation, temperature and vacuum conditions, performing just as effectively in underwater and space environments. Thanks to a robotic platform that combines high dexterity, strength and resilience, it enables remote inspection, maintenance and repairs without the need for an operator. In addition to ‘remote operation’, the system can operate in ‘production mode’, i.e. by executing programmed and validated sequences to ensure operational efficiency and safety.
Thanks to Fluid Wire Robotics, Naarea automates key stages of nuclear fuel production; performs robotic inspections and maintenance of micro reactors; carries out robot-assisted dismantling operations, including in aquatic environments; and improves safety and efficiency at its production and research sites.
“For Fluid Wire Robotics, this agreement represents a milestone in the commercialisation of our technology in the nuclear sector and an important step in our expansion into the French market, where robotics and nuclear engineering have a long tradition of excellence,” said Ivan De Leonardis, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Fluid Wire Robotics (pictured at the signing of the agreement), in a statement.
The growth and internationalisation of Fluid Wire Robotics is supported by Scientifica, a deep tech investment holding company, which believed in the start-up from the early stages of development, recognising its high technological potential, particularly in enhancing operational safety in critical environments in the energy, space and industrial automation sectors.
“This partnership between Fluid Wire Robotics and Naarea is a clear sign of how robotics can make a concrete contribution to safety and sustainability in the nuclear sector. We are proud to support a team that has transformed Italian research excellence into technology that has a positive impact on industrial production,” says Riccardo D’Alessandri, managing partner of Scientifica.
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