Western Europe pushing ahead to develop fast breeder reactor
In Western Europe, the U.K. was the first to build and operate an experimental electricity-producing FBR. The French and West Germans have put much engineering effort into FBR design. With the successful completions of Rapsodie and Phenix in France, French and Italian electric utilities are now collaborating to build Superphenix, a full-scale commercial FBR plant. Participants have expanded to West Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and the U.K. Meanwhile, at Karlsruhe, West Germany, a 200-MW experimental fast breeder, KNK-2, was built in 1968 for fuel-irradiation studies. A 300-MW prototype FBR plant, SNR-300, is now being planned by Schnellbruter Kernkraftwerkgesellschaft. The intention is to install a commercial-scale 1200-MW plant, SNR-2, more or less matching Superphenix. Like Superphenix, SNR-2 would come within the framework of the Europewide international collaborative program. The broadening of the research, development, and operating effort to embrace a large number of countries truly places the FBR development program in a Europewide context. A characteristic of the various FBR development programs is the considerable care that is being exercised to reduce the element of operating risk. The reprocessing plants planned are discussed; at Dounreay, Scotland, a unit is nearing completion for reprocessing spent fuel from an adjacent prototype fast reactor. It is the first reprocessing plant in Western Europe designed for coping with spent FBR fuel. (MCW)
- Research Organization:
- C and EN, London
- OSTI ID:
- 5240123
- Journal Information:
- Chem. Eng. News; (United States), Vol. 56:7
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
POLICY AND ECONOMY
BELGIUM
FBR TYPE REACTORS
EFFICIENCY
EVALUATION
FRANCE
GERMAN FEDERAL REPUBLIC
ITALY
NETHERLANDS
UNITED KINGDOM
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
USSR
COMMERCIALIZATION
DECISION MAKING
DEMONSTRATION PLANTS
ECONOMIC IMPACT
ENERGY POLICY
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EUROPE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
NUCLEAR ENERGY
NUCLEAR FUELS
PLANNING
PROLIFERATION
PUBLIC OPINION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
REACTORS
RECYCLING
RESERVES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAFETY
SOCIAL IMPACT
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
URANIUM
USA
ACTINIDES
BREEDER REACTORS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FUELS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
MANAGEMENT
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
REACTOR MATERIALS
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WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
290600* - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy
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