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NuclearPlantJournal.com Nuclear Plant Journal, September-October 2014
SMR Update
CEA SMR
Various low-power reactor projects
are currently on the drawing board with
the goal of meeting both electricity
generation and heat production needs.
These are called small modular reactors or
SMRs. ‘Small’ refers to their low power
which falls below the 300 MW mark
according to the IAEA. ‘Modular’ means
that the reactors can be manufactured in a
factory in module-form and delivered as
such to the site in question, generally via
train.
Their advantage lies in their moderate
investment costs which are progressive
over time. Several SMR projects are
currently being investigated across the
world.
The US, Russia, South Korea, China,
Argentina and France, nuclear-powered
countries are looking into this technology,
which raises questions of potential
markets and related technological options.
The most mature SMR projects are based
on a pressurised water reactor (PWR)
technology, though a few concepts are
exploring the possibility of using a fast
reactor technology.
France set up a consortium
comprising the CEA, EDF, Areva and
the DCNS on April 11, 2012 to lead
discussions on SMRs with the ultimate
goal of validating the technical feasibility
and economic competitiveness of SMR
concepts which must meet safety,
security, non-proliferation and protective
military naval propulsion requirements.
The consortium also studied the
possibility of developing the various
concepts and their related markets. The
results of these studies led to choosing
the PWR technology with a unit power of
about 150 MWe. The studies focused on a
land-based plant and related boiler design
in the short term.
Contact: Christophe Béhar, email:
.
ASTRID
CEA, nuclear energy division (DEN)
develops generation IV systems and
specially fast neutron reactor, in order
to offer a better solution to issues such
as energy dependency, energy material
supply security, or environmental
concerns. The proposed technology
permits plutonium multirecycling, and
waste production minimization.
CEA focusses its effort on two
different types of fast neutron reactor :
• Sodium cooled fast reactor, the
reference option, with the ASTRID
(advanced sodium technological
reactor for industrial demonstration)
program, CEA holding the lead.
• Gas cooled fast reactor, which
appears to be a more longer term
option. CEA contributes to the V4G4
consortium (Hungary, Poland, Czech
Republic, Slovakia) involved on the
Allegro project.
Astrid is a 600 MWe reactor, large
enough to be quoted as an industrial size
demonstrator, meeting the generation IV
criteria, and encompassing the feedback
experience of former worldwide
sodium cooled fast reactors. It brings
technological breakthroughs with the
past reactors of the same type.
The current pre-conceptual design
phase is scheduled until the end of 2015.
It will be followed from 2016 to 2019
by a preliminary detailed design, which
will allow, if the decision to build is
taken, commissioning around 2025 for
an industrial deployment by 2040. For
the initial design work, which began in
2010 and will be completed in 2019, the
CEA received 650 million euros from the
Investments for the Future program, out
of a total of 1 billion euros allocated for
future nuclear systems.
The staff involved is about 500
people, 50% belonging to the Nuclear
division of CEA, and 50% from industry
side. Whereas the DEN keep the
ownership of the overall architecture
of the reactor, its core and fuel, other
parts have been entrusted to industrial
companies:
• Airbus Defence and Space: reliability
and dependability aspects;
• Alcen: hot cells;
• Alstom: water-steam and gas energy
conversion system;
• AREVA NP: nuclear steam supply
system, instrumentation & control,
and nuclear auxiliaries;
• Bouygues: civil engineering and
ventilation systems;
• CEA: project leader responsible for
designing the core;
• Comex Nucléaire: innovation in
robotics and handling;
• EDF: project management assistance,
operational feedback core design and
safety studies, in-service inspection
and materials lifetime inspection;
• Jacobs France: shared resources and
infrastructure;
• JAEA, MHI, MFBR: design ofAstrid
safety systems and contribution to
R&D in support of Astrid design
options qualification;
• Rolls-Royce: compact sodium-gas
heat exchangers and fuel handling;
• Toshiba: large electromagnetic
pumps.
Contact: Christophe Béhar, email:
.
HTGR Reactor
Timeline for the HTGR
The HTGR is planned to use
tristructural-isotropic (TRISO) fuel
which is in the final stages of testing at
the Idaho National Laboratory with very
favorable results so far.
See “TRISO fuel development
progresses at INL, ORNL” – Nuclear
News, November 2013.
Based upon current schedules and
DOE funding, testing and post-irradiation
examination will be complete by the end
of 2020. In the meantime, technology
development and siting option as well
as national and international interest are
being explored. An HTGR technology
could be demonstrated and in production
by mid to late 2020’s. This timeline could
be accelerated if additional funding is
secured and depending on siting for the
first-of-a-kind (FOAK) unit.
Who will be funding the major
project?
Recent business planning and
market analysis indicate that the HTGR
is competitive in several world markets.
