Fluor partners with NuScale on SMR EPC; Austrian Emerald Horizon lists SMR venture

Fluor announced the launch of “NuScale SMR Services,” positioning itself as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partner for NuScale Power’s small modular reactors (SMRs). The offering targets a passively cooled pressurized‑water design that can deliver up to about 77 MW(e) per module, with several modules operating in a common water pool. Fluor aims to standardise the design, streamline licensing and reduce project risk by delivering repeatable work packages for utilities and industrial customers.

In Austria, start‑up Emerald Horizon, backed by EU funding of €200 million for SMR development, is preparing a thorium‑based reactor that will be combined with battery and heat‑storage systems. CEO Florian Wagner said SMRs “are hardly cheaper than normal reactors” but the company believes its hybrid approach can meet niche grid‑stability and industrial‑energy needs. The firm plans a battery‑storage unit this year, a heat‑storage unit next year, a prototype reactor by 2029 and series production in 2030‑31. Emerald Horizon listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange in a non‑dilutive offering that values the company at roughly €800 million, with shares priced at €760. Investors include former FPÖ politician Norbert Hofer and ex‑national‑bank governor Robert Holzmann.