Serco and Prodigy Clean Energy Advance Development of Transportable Nuclear Power Plants with Pioneering Safety and Resilience Testing
Prodigy Clean Energy and Serco have taken a significant step forward in the evolution of clean energy with the announcement of a key milestone in the development of Prodigy’s Transportable Nuclear Power Plants (TNPPs). The companies are collaborating on a pioneering prototypical testing program that evaluates the robustness and resilience of TNPPs under extreme conditions—both accidental and threat-based. This initiative is critical to advancing the commercialization of TNPPs and marks a turning point in the practical realization of safe, mobile nuclear energy.
This ambitious test program is partially funded by a Government of Canada award of CAD $2.75 million, granted to Prodigy under the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Enabling Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) Program. As part of this broader national effort to develop SMR technology for low-carbon power generation, Prodigy’s project is a first-of-its-kind initiative that is generating vital empirical data to support licensing efforts and community engagement. These two pillars—regulatory validation and public trust—are fundamental to bringing TNPPs into commercial use by 2030.
A Vision for Rapid-Deployment Clean Nuclear Power
Prodigy’s innovative TNPPs are designed to be manufactured entirely at qualified maritime fabrication facilities before being transported to their deployment site. This approach reduces on-site construction complexity and accelerates timelines, allowing for nuclear energy deployment at a pace and cost that can rival other forms of low-carbon energy.
Each TNPP occupies a very small footprint—just along the shoreline—and can be customized according to the type and size of nuclear reactor installed. This modularity makes Prodigy’s system adaptable for a variety of applications, including locations with limited land availability or logistical challenges.
The collaboration with Serco is centered on comprehensive stress testing of Prodigy’s TNPP designs. These evaluations include simulated impacts and catastrophic events to validate the layered safety systems designed to keep the facility and surrounding communities secure.
Engineering Excellence Meets Nuclear Innovation
“Prodigy is completing the real work needed to bring TNPPs to market in North America on schedule,” said Mathias Trojer, President and CEO of Prodigy Clean Energy. “Our technologies are now at a suitable level of readiness to engage sophisticated partners on detailed engineering exercises. Serco’s world-class expertise ensures that Prodigy achieves its top priority – that facilities operate safely and securely, safeguarding and protecting local communities and the environment.”
Serco brings a deep reservoir of expertise to the partnership. With decades of experience in maritime and defense engineering, Serco has managed large-scale procurement, design, and sustainment programs for naval forces in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. Their role in this collaboration is to lead resilience testing, specifically targeting the integrity of TNPP systems under a wide range of stressors, from natural disasters to human-caused events.
The prototype evaluations being conducted include simulating aircraft impacts, ship collisions, seismic disturbances, extreme cold and ice conditions, hurricane-level winds, and even intentional threats such as missile strikes. Additionally, the tests are assessing structural integrity under internal risks like fire and flooding. This broad test matrix is intended to demonstrate the capacity of Prodigy’s designs to isolate and contain radioactive materials under worst-case scenarios, even in remote or Arctic environments.
A Foundation for Safe, Reliable Nuclear Energy in Challenging Environments
Serco’s contribution to this initiative is more than just technical—it is strategic. By anchoring critical design verification activities in Canada, the collaboration reinforces a Canadian-led ecosystem capable of supporting the full lifecycle of TNPP development and operation. This includes everything from design and construction to long-term monitoring, maintenance, and decommissioning.
“Serco is proud to bring its design and engineering capabilities, and proven, mission-tested defence-in-depth know-how to Prodigy’s TNPP program,” said Russell Peters, General Manager of Serco Canada Marine. “These innovative facilities will expand civil nuclear deployment, supplying clean, affordable and reliable energy to remote communities, industrial operations, and coastal regions.”
TNPPs are particularly well-suited for areas with limited or no grid connectivity, such as isolated mining operations, Indigenous and northern communities, defense installations, and remote industrial facilities. For example, Arctic data centers, which require consistent and reliable power in harsh climates, could greatly benefit from the deployment of such transportable, low-carbon power sources.
By avoiding the need for traditional nuclear plant infrastructure—including extensive civil construction, large-scale cooling systems, and massive transmission upgrades—TNPPs offer a lower-risk, lower-cost, and more agile path to nuclear energy deployment. And with the additional security design features being validated through Serco’s rigorous test program, Prodigy aims to offer nuclear energy solutions that are not only clean and affordable, but demonstrably secure.
A Growing Network of Expert Collaborators
While Serco plays a central role in testing and engineering support, they are not working alone. Prodigy has assembled a multidisciplinary consortium of leading companies and technical experts to contribute to the TNPP initiative. Key partners include:
- Lloyd’s Register – Offering quality assurance, safety, and classification services.
- Kinectrics – Providing nuclear science and engineering expertise.
- Risktec Solutions – Specializing in risk and safety management for high-hazard industries.
- C-Job Naval Architects – A leader in naval architecture and marine engineering, supporting hull and transportability design.
This coalition of organizations forms a cohesive and powerful foundation for turning the TNPP concept into an operational reality. Together, they are addressing not just the technological hurdles, but also the regulatory, environmental, and societal challenges of deploying mobile nuclear plants.
Building Public Trust Through Transparency and Resilience
A central tenet of the Prodigy–Serco program is to proactively build public and stakeholder trust through transparency and data-driven communication. The real-world testing currently underway is designed to show—not just tell—that TNPPs can operate safely, securely, and effectively in even the harshest of environments. Demonstrating the reliability of safety systems under a spectrum of high-risk scenarios plays a critical role in obtaining regulatory approval and, perhaps more importantly, in earning the confidence of communities that may one day host these facilities.
By creating an infrastructure of trust, supported by rigorous science and validated performance, Prodigy and its partners aim to shift the narrative around nuclear power. Instead of being viewed as complex, costly, and immobile, nuclear energy can become a flexible, fast-deployable, and community-friendly option—particularly in the context of climate change and the global push for net-zero emissions.
Looking Ahead to 2030 Commercialization
As the testing program progresses and results continue to validate the effectiveness of the TNPP design, Prodigy is aligning its development roadmap with its goal of commercial readiness by 2030. This includes ongoing refinements to engineering, securing regulatory pathways, and establishing commercial agreements with customers across Canada and internationally.
With the support of strategic partners like Serco and other members of the development consortium, Prodigy is positioning itself as a leader in the next wave of nuclear innovation. TNPPs offer a glimpse into a future where clean energy isn’t just centralized and static—but mobile, resilient, and accessible to all.
In a time when energy reliability, security, and environmental responsibility are paramount, the Prodigy–Serco partnership exemplifies the kind of collaboration necessary to meet the moment. If successful, their work could redefine how and where nuclear energy is deployed, making a lasting impact on communities, industries, and the global climate.
