www.cea.fr

NEXT STEP FOR NUCLEAR

POWER PLANT

–

GENERATION IV

JUNE, 27 2016

Dr. Nicolas DEVICTOR

CEA

Nuclear energy division

Program manager « Generation IV reactors »

nicolas.devictor@cea.fr

| PAGE 1 | PAGE 1

| PAGE 2

The rationale of future nuclear

fuel cycles in view of sustainability

THE RATIONALE OF FUTURE NUCLEAR FUEL

CYCLES IN VIEW OF SUSTAINABILITY

Gen. II & III

1980 2000 2200 2040 2060 2080 2100

Gen. IV

…+ MA recycling

Pu-monorecycling

Pu-multi-recycling Pu-mono-recycling

- Twice-Through Cycle - LWR reactors

- Pu-recycling in MOX fuel

Pu multi-recycling

- Multi-Through Cycle - Fast-Reactors (FR)

- Pu multi-recycling

Pu+MA multi-recycling - Fast Reactors (FR)

- Pu multi-recycling

- MA burning

Gen. IV

Main incentives

- 1st step towards U

resource saving

- Efficient waste

conditioning

Main incentives

- Major resource saving

- Energetic independence

- Economic stability

Main incentives

- Decrease of waste burden,

- Optimisation of the disposal

- Public acceptance

TOWARDS INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY

Dates are purely indicative

Breakthrough=reactors

Breakthrough=cycle

On

ce

-th

roug

h c

ycle

| PAGE 3

FROM LWRs RECYCLING TO FRs RECYCLING

SFR merits as regards to fuel cycle

No front end steps and no enrichment technology / Use depleted U; Use Pu included in MOX Spent Fuel

Multi-recycling of Pu / Possible recycling of Minor Actinides

| PAGE 4

Pu stored in MOX Spent

Fuel recycled in MOX

SFR to start the SFRs

deployment

Scenario can be flexible

Both systems can coexist

during a transition phase

MINOR ACTINIDES TRANSMUTATION:

DRIVERS…

15

00

ha

tota

l, am

on

g w

hic

h 1

17

5 h

a H

LW,

7

Mm

3 e

xcav

ated

4

30

ha

tota

l, am

on

g w

hic

h 1

20

ha

HLW

, 3

Mm

3 e

xcav

ated

no transmutation MA transmutation

[An

dra

-CEA

20

12

, co

olin

g p

ha

se1

20

yea

rs]

REPOSITORY FOOTPRINT

No transmutation

MA transmutation Am transmutation

Current glasses

Gla

ssfo

rm ca

nis

ter

he

at (W

) 0,1

1

10

100

1000

10000

10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000

Temps (années)

Rad

ioto

xic

ité r

ela

tiv

e

102 105 106 104 103 10

0,1

1

10

102

103

104

Time

Relative radiotoxicity

U-ore

Gla

ss c

an

iste

rs

re

sid

ua

l heat

(d

ive

rse

fu

el cyle

op

tio

ns)

Time (years)

WHY FAST NEUTRON REACTORS ?

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

U235

U238

Np23

7

Pu2

38

Pu2

39

Pu2

40

Pu2

41

Pu2

42

Am

241

Am

243

Cm

244

Fis

sio

n/A

bso

rpti

on

PWR

SFR

Robert N. Hill 233rd ACS National Meeting – Chicago,, 2007

Pu burning in FRs favors Pu fission , allowing Pu multi-recycle

(1) Systematic U & Pu recycle , (2) in fast neutron reactors - for a sustainable management of nuclear materials & waste, - avoiding increasing of Pu-bearing stockpiles, - opening the way to a drastic extension of the use of U resource

www.cea.fr

| PAGE 7

The ASTRID program

(Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial

Demonstration)

| PAGE 8

SFR technological demonstration reactor (a step before a First Of A Kind)

Integrating French and international SFRs feedback

A GEN IV system Safety :

- Level at least equivalent to GEN III systems

- Progresses on Na reactors specificities

- Integrating FUKUSHIMA accident feedback

- Robustness of safety demonstration

Durability

- Need of Fast Breeder Reactors and a closed cycle

- Pu multi recycling to preserve natural resources

- The use of natural depleted uranium in France by FBRs allow producing electricity for

few thousands of years

Operability :

- Load factor of 80% or more after first “learning” years

- Significant progress concerning In Service Inspection & Repair (ISIR)

Ultimate wastes transmutation :

- Realization of demonstrations on minor actinides transmutation according to June 28,

2006 French Act on Wastes Management

A mastered investment cost

Non proliferation warranty

Irradiation services and options test

THE ASTRID OBJECTIVES

STRONG IMPROVEMENT FOR SFR DESIGN

A LOW SODIUM VOID WORTH CORE

3 JUILLET 2016 | PAGE 9

Fissile zone

Fertile zone

Plenum zone

Absorber zone

Low Sodium Void Worth Core

Phenix

experiments

post-irradiation

examinations

Enhanced core safety in case of all protection

systems failure

« CFV »: no power increase in case of ULOF

Irradiations: BFS

BOR60, BN600?,

Joyo/Monju?

Complementary

safety devices

ASTRID mock-up

in Masurca ZPR

STRONG IMPROVEMENT FOR SFR DESIGN

IN SERVICE INSPECTION AND REPAIR

3 JUILLET 2016 | PAGE 10

3 dedicated ISIR paths

through the roof

3 chimneys through

the redan

Support structure access

SENSOR DEVELOPMENT

Under and out of sodium

CARRIERS

DEVELOPMENT

Under and out of sodium

ACCESSIBILITY : considered at early stages of the design

STRONG IMPROVEMENT FOR SFR DESIGN

SEVERE ACCIDENTS

3 JUILLET 2016 | PAGE 11

SIMMER 5 and SEASON: a set of severe accident

simulation tools, developed in an international framework

No early or significant

releases in case of severe

accident

A core catcher :

• Whole core capacity

• Corium transfer devices

from the core to the catcher

Plinius 2: a future facility able to manage 500 Kg of

corium

STRONG IMPROVEMENT FOR SFR DESIGN

POWER CONVERSION SYSTEM

| PAGE 12

No layout designed

during the

conceptual design

phase; postponed

during the

preparatory phase

of the Basic Design

phase (from

January to October

2016).

Industrial partners:

development of a robust

layout against large SWR

(including cases with

addition of air or

kerosene).

STRONG IMPROVEMENT FOR SFR DESIGN

GAS ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM

Nitrogen tertiary circuit to

eliminate sodium-water reaction

Compact sodium gas

heat exchanger

Cheops : future sodium

experimental loop (scale ~1)

Diademo : sodium

experimental loop

(reduced scale)

ASTRID Gas Engine

room

| PAGE 13

MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS FOR 2015, AND AFTER…

| PAGE 14

A synthesis file was sent to the government mid 2015 :

Strategy leading to the choice of Gen IV sodium cooled fast

reactor and closed fuel cycle.

Scope statement, with technological choices (including

conversion system), issued from Conceptual Design.

Workplan for Basic Design, with associated R&D

infrastructures.

Proposal for a revised global planning for the ASTRID project.

A first estimate of operating and building costs.

Synthesis file summarizing the conceptual design phase

(2010-2015) provided in December 2015

Authorization at the end of 2015 from the government to

proceed until the end of 2019 (Basic design phase).

(www.cea.fr)

ASTRID MAIN DESIGN OPTIONS

3 JUILLET 2016 | PAGE 15

• Pool type SFR

• 1500 MWth - ~600 MWe

• With an intermediate sodium circuit

• CFV core (low sodium void worth)

• MOX fuel

• In vessel core catcher

• Diversified decay heat removal systems

• Fuel handling in gas, internal storage

• Conical "redan" inner vessel adopted

• Lay-out at the end of Conceptual Design:

3 primary pumps

4 intermediate heat exchangers

4 secondary circuits

5 decay heat removal circuits

Experimental capabilities: to contribute to the qualification of transmutation, fertile or burner subassemblies

REACTOR BUILDING

3 JUILLET 2016 | PAGE 16

Slab

Primary

circuit

Anti seismic

raft

Sodium

piping (BCS)

Polar table

Reactor hall

REACTOR SITE STUDIES AND

INFRASTRUCTURES IMPLEMENTATION

| PAGE 17

Turbomachine

ry building

(HM) Main buildings on

isolated raft (HR,

HL, HWx)

Special handling

building (HVX)

Fuel building

(HKL)

Annex

buildings

(HDx)

Workshop

site

N

PARTNERSHIPS AROUND ASTRID PROGRAM

Industrial

partners

International

cooperation

ASTRID

Steering by CEA

ASTRID R&D European Cooperation

EDF R&D, PSI,

Sweden (KTH, Chalmers, Uppsala), HZDR,

KIT, ENEA, JRC/ITU, NNL, CIEMAT, ...

CNRS (NEEDS), Universities (thèses)

| PAGE 18

Generic

R&D

| PAGE 19

ASTRID PROJECT ORGANISATION

Balance of plant

and infrastructures

R&

D

Ass

ista

nce

D

esig

n

Contracting authority

Strategic management

ASTRID Project team

Operational management

Industrial architect EDF assistance Astr

id M

anag

em

ent

ASTRID relay team in

Marcoule

Search for innovations

Nuclear Island Power conversion

systems Civil

engineering

Reliability,

availability,

maintenability

Hot cells

About

600 people

/R&D

European R&D labs

R&D Innovation,

Qualifications, Codes,

Specific developments,

Expertises

External assistance

Reactor core

14 industrial partners and 6 R&D partners

ASTRID FUEL CYCLE

AFC

TCP

AFC

Reprocessing

Astrid

Appropriate Fuel Cycle facilities

2n

d S

TE

P

1s

t S

TE

P

Pu from MOX-LWR

| PAGE 21

Conclusion

Nuclear energy is in 2015 a well proven source of large baseload electricity, with no GHG emissions. It will remain one of the pillars of the future French low carbon energy mix.

The closed fuel cycle associated with FNR will lead to drastic improvement in U

resources management, and important reduction in footprint and radiotoxicity of final

wastes.

French program on Generation IV is based on ASTRID program.

Basic design phase on-going (2016-2019).

Schedule and organization for next phases under preparation with French

government and industrial partners.

FNR is also developed in other countries, following the same strategy than France.

| PAGE 22

SUMMARY

Nuclear Energy Division

Reactor Studies Department

Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives

Centre de Cadarache | 13108 Saint Paul Lez Durance

T. +33 (0)4 42 25 45 93

Etablissement public à caractère industriel et commercial | RCS Paris B 775 685 019 3 JUILLET 2016

| PAGE 23

CEA | 10 AVRIL 2012