European partnerships for fast reactor development

[NNadir]

For the complete utilization of all uranium resources - to reduce or eliminate for centuries the need for uranium (or thorium) mining - the fast neutron spectrum is absolutely essential. Almost all of the world's existing nuclear infrastructure is in the thermal spectrum, which is not as neutron, an thus not as fuel, efficient.

Some good news from Europe is thus worth reporting:

European partnerships for fast reactor development

France's Hexana has formed a strategic partnership with Belgian engineering firm Tractebel to support the development of its sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor energy platform. Meanwhile, Swedish and French lead-cooled fast reactors developers Blykalla and Newcleo are to jointly research and develop materials for such reactors.

Hexana aims to develop a small modular reactor (SMR) featuring a sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor, integrated with a high temperature storage device. A plant would comprise two of these reactors (400 MWt each) supplying a heat storage device. An adjoining conversion system will allow it to produce electricity on demand and in a flexible manner to compete with gas-fired power plants, but also to supply heat directly to nearby energy-intensive industries.

Newcleo is developing its Small Modular Lead-cooled Fast Reactor (SM-LFR) technology. According to Paris-headquartered Newcleo's delivery roadmap, the first non-nuclear pre-cursor prototype of its reactor is expected to be ready by 2026 in Italy, the first reactor operational in France by the end of 2031, while the final investment decision for the first commercial power plant is expected around 2029.

Blykalla and Newcleo have now signed an agreement for the joint research and development of materials for lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs). The partnership entails the exchange of materials, results, and associated data to assist the respective R&D programmes of each party...

My son is a nuclear materials scientist, well along in his Ph.D. work, assuming the US educational system doesn't collapse entirely. Happily, he speaks fluent French. This bodes well for him getting out of the country if need be.

I'm not a liquid sodium kind of guy, but I am very much intrigued by LBE, lead bismuth eutectics. Some fast reactors of this type have operated in Russia, so it's nice to see interest appearing in the civilized world.

A little good news in a terrible time...