Current status and future prospects of fast reactor cycle development in Japan

Yanagisawa, Tsutomu

"Feasibility Study on Commercialized Fast Reactor Cycle Systems" was carried out, in order to present it in around 2015 that the commercial concept of FR cycle and the research and development program to deploy it. In this study, the potential of various candidates was examined; the strategic research which makes future goal clear was done. After an assessment of the result of FS by the government, the major concept, the combination of sodium cooled fast reactor/ MOX fuel/ advanced aqueous processing/ simplified palletizing that were high technical viability on current knowledge, was decided. And the development of FR cycle is going to be accelerated by focusing on innovative technology development for a major concept. This new development program will be carried out to present the conceptual design of demonstration facility and commercial facility by 2015.