Progress of sodium-cooled fast reactor developments in Japan taking into account total lifecycle, risk-informed approach, and sustainability

Kamide, Hideki ; Asayama, Tai ; Wakai, Takashi ; Ezure, Toshiki ; Uchibori, Akihiro ; Kubo, Shigenobu ; Takeuchi, Masayuki 

A sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR) is one of the most relevant and decarbonized energy supply system with higher sustainability on natural resources, footprint, and waste management. It was planned in a strategic roadmap of fast reactor decided by Inter-Ministerial Council for Nuclear Power Japan in 2022 to start a conceptual design of a demonstration reactor from 2024 with a background of accumulated knowledge and experiences of SFR development. For example, a design and lifecycle simulation/evaluation system named ARKADIA has been developed to accelerate such design works. It will enable to take into account plant lifecycle, e.g., operation and maintenance, to the plant design and optimize it based on simulations and knowledgebase. This paper shows research progresses of ARKADIA, safety design and evaluations, codes and standards, fuel cycle, and SFR development projects in Japan.