Emerald Horizon AG Launches ADES Test Loop With VDL

Emerald Horizon AG, a company known for its accelerator-driven subcritical SMR technology, has taken a significant step forward by officially launching the Test Loop programme for its ADES technology. This initiative is in collaboration with industrial partner VDL Groep at its LaboraTHorium in Graz. A crucial project-specific agreement marks this effort under the long-term framework aimed at developing ADES and TESS technologies. This megawatt-scale Loop will be advanced with VDL in Eindhoven, targeting a fully integrated prototype by 2029.

VDL's expertise in engineering and manufacturing plays a vital role in the co-development of this project. While Emerald leads the reactor-physics development in Graz, VDL contributes its industrial perspective, ensuring the manufacturability and scalability of the design from an early stage. This strategic collaboration aims to support Emerald's asset-light industrialisation strategy.

The Test Loop is planned to run for 12–18 months and represents a critical milestone in the connection from the broad VDL framework to project-specific execution, potentially mitigating development risks. Despite the new developments, financial estimates and deployment assumptions for ADES remain unchanged, with a reiterated target price of €1,300.