Annual Report 2016
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ANNUAL REPORT 2016 FOREWORD Foreword from the Chair It is my privilege as the new Chair of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) to present our 2016 GIF Annual Report, an important publication that offers a comprehensive update on the achievements of collaboration under the GIF Framework. Being elected by the GIF Policy Group (PG) in April 2016 to become the fifth GIF Chair was a great honour, especially following in the footsteps of John Kelly (United States) and his prestigious predecessors. Under John’s leadership, GIF activities have made some important progress, including the launching in 2014 of the process to extend the GIF Framework Agreement and to update the GIF Technology Roadmap Update for Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems, initiated under Yutaka Sagayama’s chairmanship. This flagship GIF publication began the engagement with regulators on safety design criteria and guidelines. Such actions contributed to strengthening the GIF strategic vision for moving towards the demonstration phase of Gen IV systems, an endeavour that I will continue to promote as Chair. To support our activities, I am fortunate to have the support of three Vice-Chairs that were tasked in 2016 with specific missions: • Hideki Kamide (Japan) is leading an important project on market issues that aims to review how the market environment has evolved since the launch of GIF at the turn of the millennium and what it means in terms of challenges and opportunities for the development and future deployment of Gen IV systems. • John Kelly is leading our activities on regulatory issues, including engagement with safety authorities in venues such as the Ad hoc Group on the Safety of Advanced Reactors (GSAR) co-ordinated by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), as well as the development of safety design criteria and guidelines. • Hark Rho Kim (Korea) is leading GIF outreach activities related to the identification of research infrastructure as well as international collaborations in order to promote the role, vision and results of GIF activities outside of our community. In addition to the new leadership role of our three Vice-Chairs, activities benefit from the efficient support of the GIF Technical Secretariat provided by the NEA and co-ordinated by Henri Paillère. I am also pleased to have Alexander Stanculescu (United States/Idaho National Laboratory) serving as Technical Director, providing a high level of expertise to the PG and Chairing the Experts Group (EG), as well as François Storrer (France/CEA), as Policy Director and Chief of Staff, in charge of legal and communications issues, and the management of PG activities. In 2016, a significant event for the GIF was to welcome Australia as its 14th member following unanimous approval by the GIF PG. The GIF Charter was signed in June 2016 by Adrian Paterson of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the formal process for the signature of the Framework Agreement was initiated. We now look forward to Australia becoming fully engaged in the GIF research activities, particularly in the area of materials for very-high-temperature and molten salt reactors for which ANSTO has expressed an interest. 2016 GIF ANNUAL REPORT 3 FOREWORD By the end of 2016, the Extension of the Framework Agreement had been signed by all of the GIF members: this offers a new momentum to foster the development of GIF activities over the next decade. GIF members have also renewed their commitment to the collaborative research and development (R&D) activities that are taking place at the system level by extending the System Arrangements (SAs) for the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) (February 2016) and for the very-high-temperature reactor (VHTR), the supercritical water- cooled reactor (SCWR) and the gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), all extended in November 2016. The molten salt reactor (MSR) and lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) systems are not impacted by this process as they still operate under a Memorandum of Understanding. In parallel, the PG tasked the Policy Director to oversee a revision of GIF procedures in terms of engagement with private companies, including start-ups which focus on Gen IV systems. This reflects the increasing interest of the private sector in GIF activities that could offer some new collaboration opportunities. GIF cross-cutting activities are also continuing through dedicated task forces. The Education and Training Task Force was active in launching a series of monthly GIF webinars. The first presentation was delivered in September 2016 by John Kelly on “Atoms for Peace – the Next Generation” and gathered more than 350 participants. In addition, the task force contributed to international summer schools and is expending its network through the use of social media. The task force responsible for developing safety design criteria (SDC) for SFR delivered some important results. The draft SFR SDC report has been extensively presented and reviewed by external stakeholders, including national safety authorities and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The task force has now started a Phase II of its activities with the development of safety design guidelines (SDG) that aim to assist SFR developers and vendors to use SDC in their design process. In parallel, it was also decided to extend the SDC/SG to other GIF systems, starting with the LFR and the VHTR. The GIF Senior Industry Advisory Panel (SIAP), which provides strategic advice to the PG, increased its engagement with the forum in 2016. A number of new members joined and the SIAP Charter was updated to encourage a more diverse membership base. With a new three-year plan, the SIAP has established a dedicated work programme that includes support to the Vice-Chair mission on market issues as well as additional interactions with the GIF methodology working groups. SIAP members also aim to further engage with the GIF systems to support their plans to progress towards the demonstration phase of the different systems. As GIF Chair, I am indeed convinced that we need to maintain a strong relationship and dialogue with the industry in order to be successful in the implementation of the GIF Roadmap, moving towards the licensing of Gen IV systems. Finally, important progress continued to take place within the collaborative R&D of our six systems and through the activities of our three methodological work groups: namely, the Economic Modelling Working Group (EMWG), the Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Working Group (PRPPWG), and the Risk and Safety Working Group (RSWG). In 2017, the System Steering Committees and methodology working groups will work together under the guidance of our Technical Director to produce an update of the GIF 2009 R&D outlook. This publication will be released in 2018, ahead of the Fourth GIF Symposium. Dr François Gauché GIF Policy Group Chairman 4 2016 GIF ANNUAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents Chapter 1. GIF membership, organisation and R&D collaboration ........................................9 1.1. GIF membership ................................................................................................................9 1.2. GIF organisation ..............................................................................................................10 1.3. Participation in GIF R&D projects .................................................................................12 Chapter 2. Highlights from the year, Vice-Chair reports and country reports ..................15 2.1. General overview ............................................................................................................15 2.2. Highlights from the Experts Group ...............................................................................16 2.3. Report of the GIF Vice-Chair for Regulatory Issues, John E. Kelly ............................18 2.4. Report of the GIF Vice-Chair on Market Issues, Hideki Kamide ...............................19 2.5. GIF/INPRO interface meeting, Hark Rho Kim ..............................................................20 2.6. Country reports ...............................................................................................................21 Australia ...........................................................................................................................21 Canada ..............................................................................................................................22 China .................................................................................................................................24 Euratom ............................................................................................................................26 France ...............................................................................................................................27 Japan .................................................................................................................................30 Korea .................................................................................................................................31 Russia ................................................................................................................................32 South Africa .....................................................................................................................34 Switzerland ......................................................................................................................36