The Development status of Generation IV reactor systems, 7; Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR)

Kamide, Hideki ; Ito, Takaya*; Kotake, Shoji*

Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs) have significant characteristics on sustainability as follows, highly effective utilization of Uranium resource, burning of TRU long-life nuclide, e.g., Plutonium, reduction of volume and toxicity of high level radioactive waste of spent fuels. SFRs are one of promising concepts at a step of demonstration phase of development. BN-800 in Russia has already started commercial operation. This is a great step toward the commercialization of SFRs. Russia stated that SFR entered the step of commercial use and next step was demonstration of safety and economy of SFRS by means of operation of BN-1200. Construction of a demo reactor of 600 MWe started in China. In India, operation of PFBR is planned near future and also constructions of 6 units of commercial reactors are also planned. In this report such SFR development plans of oversea countries are summarized including development status and future direction in Japan,