Publicatie Laka-bibliotheek:
A Technology Roadmap for Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems (2003)
| Auteur | Generation VI |
 | - |
| Datum | maart 2003 |
| Classificatie | 6.01.3.50/25 (VEILIGHEID - REACTOREN - NIEUWE GENERATIES - ALGEMEEN) |
| Opmerking | Online available at https://web.archive.org/web/20061005211316if_/http://www.gen-4.org/PDFs/GenIVRoadmap.pdf |
| Voorkant | 
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Uit de publicatie:
A Technology Roadmap for Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems
1
AN ESSENTIAL ROLE FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY
The world’s population is expected to expand from To enhance the future role of nuclear energy systems,
about 6 billion people to 10 billion people by the year this technology roadmap defines and plans the necessary
2050, all striving for a better quality of life. As the R&D to support a generation of innovative nuclear
Earth’s population grows, so will the demand for energy energy systems known as Generation IV. Generation IV
and the benefits that it brings: improved standards of nuclear energy systems comprise the nuclear reactor and
living, better health and longer life expectancy, im- its energy conversion systems, as well as the necessary
proved literacy and opportunity, and many others. facilities for the entire fuel cycle from ore extraction to
Simply expanding energy use using today’s mix of final waste disposal.
production options, however, will continue to have
adverse environmental impacts and potential long-term The Long-Term Benefits from Nuclear
consequences from global climate change. For the Earth Energy’s Essential Role
to support its population, we must increase the use of
energy supplies that are clean, safe, and cost-effective. Challenging technology goals for Generation IV nuclear
Prominent among these supplies is nuclear energy. energy systems are defined in this roadmap in four areas:
sustainability, economics, safety and reliability, and
There are currently 438 nuclear power plants in opera- proliferation resistance and physical protection. By
tion around the world, producing 16% of the world’s striving to meet the technology goals, new nuclear
electricity—the largest share provided by any systems can achieve a number of long-term benefits that
nongreenhouse-gas-emitting source. This yields a will help nuclear energy play an essential role world-
significant reduction in the environmental impact of wide.
today’s electric generation. To continue this benefit,
new systems will be needed to replace plants as they Sustainable Nuclear Energy
retire. In the latter part of this century, the environmen- Sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the
tal benefits of nuclear energy can expand and even present generation while enhancing the ability of future
extend to other energy products besides electricity. For generations to meet society’s needs indefinitely into the
example, nuclear energy can be used to generate hydro- future. In this roadmap, sustainability goals are defined
gen for use in petroleum refinement and as a transporta- with focus on waste management and resource utiliza-
tion fuel to reduce the dependence upon oil, and to tion. Other factors that are commonly associated with
desalinate water in areas where fresh water is in short sustainability, such as economics and environment,a are
supply. To deliver this benefit, new systems will be considered separately in the technology roadmap to
needed, requiring near-term deployment of nuclear stress their importance. Looking ahead to the findings
plants and significant research and development (R&D) of this roadmap, the benefits of meeting sustainability
on next-generation systems. goals include:
Many of the world’s nations, both industrialized and • Extending the nuclear fuel supply into future
developing, believe that a greater use of nuclear energy centuries by recycling used fuel to recover its energy
will be required if energy security is to be achieved. content, and by converting 238U to new fuel
They are confident that nuclear energy can be used now
and in the future to meet their growing demand for • Having a positive impact on the environment
energy safely and economically, with certainty of long- through the displacement of polluting energy and
term supply and without adverse environmental impacts. transportation sources by nuclear electricity genera-
tion and nuclear-produced hydrogen
a Internationally, and especially in the context of the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in August 2002,
sustainable development is usually examined from three points of view: economic, environmental, and social. Generation IV has adopted a
narrower definition of sustainability in order to balance the emphasis on the various goal areas. For a more complete discussion of
sustainability, see NEA News, No. 19.1, available at the http://www.nea.fr/html/sd/welcome.html website.
A Technology Roadmap for Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems
2
• Allowing geologic waste repositories to accept the • Providing continued effective proliferation resis-
waste of many more plant-years of nuclear plant tance of nuclear energy systems through improved
operation through substantial reduction in the design features and other measures
amount of wastes and their decay heat
• Increasing physical protection against terrorism by
• Greatly simplifying the scientific analysis and increasing the robustness of new facilities.
demonstration of safe repository performance for
very long time periods (beyond 1000 years), by a Meeting the Challenges of Nuclear Energy’s
large reduction in the lifetime and toxicity of the Essential Role
residual radioactive wastes sent to repositories for
final geologic disposal. To play an essential role, future nuclear energy systems
will need to provide (1) manageable nuclear waste,
Competitive Nuclear Energy effective fuel utilization, and increased environmental
Economics goals broadly consider competitive costs and benefits, (2) competitive economics, (3) recognized
financial risks of nuclear energy systems. Looking safety performance, and (4) secure nuclear energy
ahead, the benefits of meeting economics goals include: systems and nuclear materials. These challenges,
described below, are the basis for setting the goals of
• Achieving economic life-cycle and energy produc- next-generation nuclear energy systems in this roadmap.
tion costs through a number of innovative advances
in plant and fuel cycle efficiency, design simplifica- Disposition of discharged fuel or other high-level
tions, and plant sizes radioactive residues in a geological repository is the
preferred choice of most countries, and good technical
• Reducing economic risk to nuclear projects through progress is being made. Long-term retrievable surface
the development of plants built using innovative or subsurface repositories are also being assessed. The
fabrication and construction techniques, and possi- progress toward realizing a geologic repository in the
bly modular designs United States at Yucca Mountain and in other countries
• Allowing the distributed production of hydrogen, like Finland and Sweden demonstrates the viability of
fresh water, district heating, and other energy repositories as a solution. However, the extensive use of
products to be produced where they are needed. nuclear energy in the future requires the optimal use of
repository space and the consideration of closing the fuel
Safe and Reliable Systems cycle.
Maintaining and enhancing the safe and reliable opera-
Today, most countries use the once-through fuel cycle,
tion is an essential priority in the development of next-
whereas others close the fuel cycle by recycling. Recy-
generation systems. Safety and reliability goals broadly
cling (using either single or multiple passes) recovers
consider safe and reliable operation, improved accident
uranium and plutonium from the spent fuel and uses it to
management and minimization of consequences, invest-
make new fuel, thereby producing more power and
ment protection, and reduced need for off-site emer-
reducing the need for enrichment and uranium mining.
gency response. Looking ahead, the benefit of meeting
Recycling in a manner that does not produce separated
these goals includes:
plutonium can further avoid proliferation risks. How-
• Increasing the use of inherent safety features, robust ever, recycling has proven to be uneconomical today,
designs, and transparent safety features that can be given plentiful supplies of uranium at low and stable
understood by nonexperts prices. This will eventually change, and closing the fuel
cycle will be favored when the cost of maintaining an
• Enhancing public confidence in the safety of nuclear
open cycle exceeds that of a closed cycle. With recy-
energy.
cling, other benefits are realized: the high-level radioac-
Proliferation Resistance and Physical tive residues occupy a much-reduced volume, can be
Protection made less toxic, and can be processed into a more
suitable form for disposal. In addition, reactors can be
Proliferation resistance and physical protection consider
designed to transmute troublesome long-lived heavy
means for controlling and securing nuclear material and
elements. Achieving these benefits, however, will
nuclear facilities. Looking ahead, the benefits of meet-
require significant R&D on fuel cycle technology.
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