Nuclear Reactor Technology Development

Outline：Progress in nuclear energy technology:

Nuclear energy technology continues to advance, focusing on cooling and material technologies for fusion and fission reactors, and using fission experience to accelerate fusion commercialization. Water-cooled reactors dominate, and their experience is used for design optimization. Small and medium-sized modular reactors have attracted attention for their flexible power generation, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has pushed for lower costs and early deployment. At the same time, strengthen SMR technology assessment, unified standards, and explore non-electric applications such as heating, seawater desalination, to help decarbonize energy.

Text:

Nuclear Reactor Technology Development

Nuclear power technology is evolving, with a focus on the development of advanced energy systems and the broadening of their applications. A technical meeting on compatibility between coolants and materials for fusion facilities and advanced fission reactors allowed participants to discuss related state-of-the-art technology. The experience accumulated through the maturing of fission power technology could be employed to accelerate the industrialization and commercialization of fusion power. Of special interest is experience in material R&D for Generation IV reactors, whose temperature and radiation damage characteristics are similar to those of anticipated fusion power facilities. In this regard, the Agency organized extensive consultations on a study relating to synergies between fusion technology developments and advanced nuclear fission technologies. As part of the Agency’s Open-source Nuclear Codes for Reactor Analysis initiative, a joint training workshop by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the Agency on open-source nuclear codes for reactor analysis was conducted in Trieste, Italy, providing training on reactor neutronics, thermal hydraulics, and system analysis at various scales.

Technology development for advanced water cooled reactors

Water cooled reactors (WCRs) account for more than 95% of the world’s operating commercial NPPs and contribute

significantly to meeting global energy needs. Many of the lessons learned from the past 50 years of WCR operation continue to be applied to the design and operation of existing and advanced WCRs. The Agency publication Terms for Describing Advanced Nuclear Power Plants provides Member States with up-to date terms for describing advanced NPPs, draws distinctions between design phases and clarifies terms commonly used when describing advanced NPPs. Meanwhile, the revised Nuclear Reactor Technology Assessment for Near Term Deployment explains how reactor technology assessment enables decision making for nuclear power planning and implementation.

Small and medium sized or modular reactors, including high temperature reactors

Global interest in small and medium sized or modular reactors has been increasing due to their ability to meet the need for f lexible power generation for a wider range of users and applications and replace ageing fossil fuel-fired power plants. In 2023, the Agency launched a new coordinated research project to identify and enhance understanding of families of enabling technologies with the potential to either reduce small modular reactor (SMR) construction costs and schedules or better suit users’ needs, thus facilitating and favouring the early deployment of such reactors.

During the 67th regular session of the General Conference, a side event on reactor technology assessment informed participants about how to perform SMR assessments using the Agency’s Reactor Technology Assessment methodology and Advanced Reactor Information System database, which are integral parts of SMR Platform activities. A technical meeting on the harmonization and use of industrial codes and standards for SMRs advanced harmonization efforts for near deployment reactors, in such areas as engineering standards, non-nuclear codes and serially produced components. Lastly, the publication Suitability Evaluation of Commercial Grade Products for Use in Nuclear Power Plant Safety Systems provides information on approaches to such evaluation.

Fast reactors

The Agency redesignated the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland as a Collaborating Centre on modelling and simulation capabilities in the field of advanced reactors. One of the outputs of this cooperation was a workshop on open-source nuclear codes for reactor analysis, jointly organized with EPFL and ICTP, which offered a comprehensive overview of cutting-edge computational techniques for nuclear reactor analysis.

Non-electric Applications of Nuclear Power

The proven use of nuclear energy for non-electric applications, including district heating, desalination and direct provision of heat for various industrial processes, is one of the drivers of interest in nuclear energy to help decarbonize energy applications. Within the framework of the SMR Platform, the Agency conducted an expert mission to Jordan to review a pre feasibility study on SMR deployment for desalination. A number of factors were considered, including safety and security, siting, licensing and stakeholder engagement. Following the mission, the Agency delivered its final report and suggestions to the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission. An interregional training course on specific design considerations of nuclear cogeneration projects using SMRs and microreactors, held in Moscow, trained participants on the fundamentals of cogeneration using such reactors. Meanwhile, a technical meeting allowed participants to exchange information on the most recent developments in high temperature hydrogen production projects worldwide and to discuss the potential for coupling these technologies with various types of nuclear plant.

The news comes from: gc68-2-nuclear-power.pdf