RRFM 2009 Transactions - European Nuclear Society

1. Introduction: a renewed context for fast neutron reactor development
The safe operation of current power plants over the past 20 years, the increasing economic
competitiveness of nuclear energy as fossil fuel prices escalate, as well as considerations of
energy security pave the way for an active development of nuclear energy in Asia and a
renaissance in the United States and Europe. This leads to anticipate an installed capacity of
nuclear power of the order of 1000 to 1500 GWe by 2050, which is about four times the
current installed capacity (370 GWe). Such a nuclear power capacity would require about
15 Mtons of natural uranium, if realized only with light water reactors which use less than 1%
of the uranium ( 235 U mainly) over a lifetime of 60 years. This amount, which is comparable to
the estimated assured plus speculative reserves at a price below 130 $/kg, incites to prepare
the deployment by 2040 of fast neutron reactors with a closed fuel cycle that can burn more
than 80% of natural uranium. Even if the situation around the middle of the century would not
lead to a shortage of uranium because of additional reserves in phosphates or sea water,
the rising cost of this resource, together with the accumulation of spent fuel, would drive the
need to switch to fast neutron reactors to achieve a more efficient use of uranium and
minimize the ultimate long lived radioactive waste [1].
The paper summarizes the current status of FNR fuel development and perspectives. After
recalling the strategy for fast neutron reactor development in the world (section 2), the
reference concepts of SFR and GFR proposed in France are briefly described (section 3).
Then, reopening the scope, the basic features (mainly core performance and in-pile
behaviour) of oxide, metal and other fast reactor fuels (carbide and nitride) are discussed,
showing their potential and challenges (section 4). Section 5 addresses the fuel qualification
procedure and underlines the role of experimental reactors for realistic assessment of the inpile
behaviour of fuels in the long term.
2. The strategy for fast neutron reactor development
2.1 Past experience on fast neutron reactors and trends for the short term
In parallel to similar efforts made in the United States, Russia and Japan, European
laboratories and industries supported an active development of Sodium cooled Fast
Reactors (SFR) from the 1960s to 1998. No less than seven experimental and prototype
reactors were built and operated over this period: Rapsodie, Phenix and Superphenix in
France, DFR and PFR in United Kingdom, and KNK-II and SNR-300 (which was never put in
service) in Germany. However, the industrial development of SFRs stopped in Europe when
the political decision was taken in February 1998 to abandon Superphenix. It had stopped
earlier in the United States with the Non Proliferation Act promulgated in 1978. Russia
proceeded with the development of SFRs in spite of budget constraints and is expected to
put BN-800 (800 MWe) in service in 2012. Japan’s efforts since 1995 are mainly devoted to
putting Monju back into service. India and China, which both plan on nuclear power to supply
part of the energy needed for their fast economic growth, have both aggressive agendas to
develop light water reactors and SFRs with respective plans to start, respectively, a
prototype fast reactor PFBR (500 MWe) and an experimental reactor CEFR (65 MWt) in
2010.
2.2 The strategy in France and in Europe
Prospective studies carried out by the CEA and industrial partners led to elaborate for
France a R&D strategy on future nuclear energy systems for the medium and the longer
terms (> 2040). This strategy, approved by the French Government in March 2005, gives
clear priority on fast neutron nuclear systems with a closed fuel cycle, the Sodium-cooled
Fast Reactor (SFR) and the Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR), owing to the general
recognition of their capability to meet sustainability goals. This has been confirmed
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