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FOREWORD Foreword from the GIF Chair It is my pleasure to present the 2013 Generation IV International Forum Annual Report, which provides an overview of the most up-to-date technical achievements in the development of Generation IV nuclear energy systems. This year was marked by the completion of many important GIF objectives, several of which are highlighted below. The Generation IV International Forum (GIF) is now into its second decade. The Forum was formed by a multi-national agreement among countries who recognised that the future of nuclear energy depended on moving to the next generation of reactors and who were willing to collaborate on the research and development (R&D) to make this happen. Over time, the number of active members in GIF has evolved. Today’s active GIF members are Canada, Euratom, France, Japan, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Switzerland and the United States. Good progress has been made on Generation IV systems and some of the revolutionary designs currently being developed could be demonstrated within the next decade. Commercial deployment could begin in the 2030s. GIF maintains a long-standing collaborative relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and especially with the IAEA’s International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO). Co-operation on evaluation methodologies for economics, safety, physical protection and proliferation resistance has been ongoing for several years. In February 2013, GIF and INPRO held an interface meeting to discuss areas of mutual interest, at which time a workshop on sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) safety was also held. In March 2013, the International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles (FR13) was held in Paris, France. This meeting was organised by the IAEA and hosted by the government of France. Over 650 attendees from 26 countries participated in the meeting with 375 papers presented. GIF members made major contributions to this very successful meeting. Over the last few years, a GIF task force has been working to develop safety design criteria (SDC) for the sodium-cooled fast reactor, which is likely to be one of the first Generation IV systems to move through the viability and performance phases to the reactor demonstration phase. The task force completed its initial report, which was subsequently approved by the Policy Group at its meeting in Beijing in May 2013. This report represents an important step in developing international consensus on safety criteria for designers of Generation IV systems. As recommended by the Policy Group, the SFR SDC report was distributed for external review to national regulators and international organisations or programmes, such as the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP), the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA), and the IAEA. This effort is important not only to harmonise safety criteria across GIF members, but also to demonstrate that Generation IV safety goals are being met. The SDC task force will thus continue its work in developing more detailed guidance on the SDC while factoring in comments from external reviewers. During 2012 and 2013, GIF took the opportunity to reassess its mission and conducted strategic planning. A strategic plan was developed and approved by the Policy Group at its meeting in Beijing in May 2013. Key initiatives identified in the plan include: • updating the technology roadmap; • strengthening R&D collaboration within GIF; • strengthening ties with other international organisations. 2013 GIF ANNUAL REPORT 3 FOREWORD From GIF’s beginning, collaborative research and development has been guided by the Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Technology Roadmap (2002). An update of the Technology Roadmap was completed and approved by the Policy Group at its meeting in Brussels in November 2013. The Technology Roadmap Update for Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems (2014) reaffirmed that GIF R&D should continue to focus on the six Generation IV systems selected in the original roadmap. Those six systems are the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), the gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), the lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR), the supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR), the very-high-temperature reactor (VHTR) and the molten salt reactor (MSR). The updated roadmap outlines progress to date and future R&D challenges for these six Generation IV concepts. It also discusses the work of the methodology working groups, which have focused on developing methods for assessing key attributes of Generation IV systems such as economics, safety, physical protection and proliferation resistance. The Technology Roadmap Update is available on the GIF website. The strategic plan has also identified a number of areas where improvements in collaboration are possible and would lead to more efficient and effective co-operation. The experts group was tasked with developing an implementation plan to address this recommendation, with the improvements to be implemented over the next two years. Finally, as the Generation IV Forum has matured, the need to strengthen ties with other international organisations has intensified. GIF will continue to reach out to the MDEP, the IAEA, and the NEA, and, in keeping with the strategic plan, GIF will continue to co-operate with the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation (INFEC) as an observer in the executive and steering committee meetings. Co-operation between GIF and organisations such as IFNEC and the IAEA is essential for future introduction and deployment of Generation IV nuclear energy systems, and the Forum needs to continue strengthening these associations. GIF is also redoubling its efforts to communicate more effectively with its stakeholders in order to renew interest in Generation IV systems. A new website was launched in 2013, which will provide accurate and timely information to the public and particularly to educators. Generation IV concepts are innovative and exciting and the R&D is technically challenging. As such, it serves as an excellent opportunity to attract and train the next generation of nuclear professionals. GIF intends to continue with its outreach efforts to universities and professional societies so that the entire community can be engaged in Generation IV. Finally, 2013 was a year of transition for the GIF chair with the chair position rotating back to the United States after three years with Japan. We would like to recognise the contribution of the previous chair, Mr. Yutaka Sagayama, and his staff for their outstanding leadership during a particularly important time in the history of nuclear power, as well as for ensuring a smooth and efficient rotation of the chair responsibilities. With best wishes, Dr. John E. Kelly GIF Policy Group Chairman 4 2013 GIF ANNUAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Foreword from the GIF Chair ........................................................................................................3 Chapter 1. GIF membership, organisation and R&D collaborations .....................................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 and GIF member reports ............................................15 2.1 General overview .....................................................................................................................15 2.2 Highlights from the experts group ........................................................................................15 2.3 GIF member reports .................................................................................................................16 Canada ....................................................................................................................................16 China .......................................................................................................................................18 Euratom ...................................................................................................................................20 France ......................................................................................................................................21 Japan .......................................................................................................................................22 Republic of Korea .....................................................................................................................23 Russian Federation ..................................................................................................................24 South Africa ............................................................................................................................25 Switzerland .............................................................................................................................25 United States ...........................................................................................................................26 Chapter 3. System reports ..........................................................................................................29