Thursday, May 31, 2012, 16:00
WHGA/001
H. Aït Abderrahim, SCK CEN Belgium
Abstract:
Nuclear fission energy is a proven technology that provides today 31% of electricity in the EU-27,
with reactors in 15 countries. It is the largest source of low carbon electricity, saving nearly
900 Mt of CO2 emissions a year. It contributes to Europe's security of supply by limiting the
dependence on fossil fuel imports. Building up on its present leading position, Europe has to
invest in R&D to overcome technological breakthroughs that would guarantee Europe's future low
Carbon energy mix and energy security of supply.
Europe has to maintain the share of nuclear energy in its energy mix thanks to present technology
reactors in operation or under deployment. Quoting the SET Plan, the challenge is to "Maintain
competitiveness in fission technologies, together with long-term waste management solutions".
The Strategic Research Agenda currently being prepared by the members of the Sustainable Nuclear
Energy Technology Platform (SNE-TP) will reflect this needed focus on plant life management and
extension, as well as on spent fuel management issues.
For the longer term objectives of ensuring that Europe will have a low carbon energy mix and a
more secure energy supply by 2050, the next technological path identified in the SNE-TP Vision
Report1 and being further elaborated in the Strategic Research Agenda is: the development of
Generation IV fast neutron reactors with closed fuel cycle. The main advantages of such systems
over current reactor technology are their improved use of resources (typically multiplying by 100
the energy produced for the same amount of uranium), and the reduced volume, long-term radio-toxicity
and thermal load of final waste, which is to be disposed in geological repositories. The
research efforts for Generation IV technology are already underway in different EU countries,
but they need to be strengthened and focussed to achieve major technological breakthroughs.
In Europe, two technological paths are developed to offer a choice to decision makers and limit
the risks associated with R&D: sodium cooled fast neutron reactor (SFR) as a first track
technology based on the existing experience in Europe, and an alternative fast neutron
reactor technology (gas- or lead-cooled). The objective is to be able to deploy commercially
a fast neutron reactor technology by 2040. Both these technologies can contribute to
radioactive waste minimization as sustainable nuclear energy and also for massive production of
hydrogen.
Nevertheless whatever the future of nuclear energy will be in Europe, we have to deal with
the high level nuclear waste legacy and in this sense the Accelerator Driven System (ADS) and
in particular the MYRRHA project will be a first step towards the consolidation of this approach.
In this talk, we will report on this vision and on the innovative nuclear systems as well
as the status of the MYRRHA and their perspective.