Report to the Congress: liquid metal fast breeder reactor program--past, present, and future, Energy Research and Development Administration

Technical Report · Mon Apr 28 04:00:00 EDT 1975

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7290763· OSTI ID:7290763

The past, present, and future of the liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) program, the Nation's highest priority energy program, are studied. ERDA anticipates that the operation of the first large commercial breeder will start in 1987, and that 186 commercial-size breeders will be in operation by the year 2000. The breeder program is made up of six major areas, each dealing with an important element of technology: reactor physics; fuels and materials; fuel recycle; safety; component development; plant experience; and facilities used in the LMFBR program. ERDA is implementing a new system for administering, managing, and controlling the breeder program that will provide increased program visibility and control. Federal funding for breeder development was $168 million in FY 1971, accounting for 40% of the total Federal R and D energy budget; in FY 1976 Federal funding for this program will be $474 million, only 26% of total Federal funding for energy research. Besides Federal funds, over half a billion dollars have been or will be invested by industry over the next 5 to 10 years to develop the breeder and to build a demonstration plant. Five other nations--the United Kingdom, France, Japan, West Germany, and the Soviet Union--have a high priority national energy program for developing the LMFBR. These foreign breeder programs could contribute important data and information to the U.S. program. (BYB)

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, D.C. (USA); U.S. General Accounting Office, Washington, DC
• OSTI ID: 7290763
• Report Number(s): TID-27044; RED-75-352
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500 -- Power Reactors
Breeding
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization
290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
ASIA
BREEDER REACTORS
BUDGETS
ENERGY POLICY
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EUROPE
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FINANCING
FORECASTING
FRANCE
GERMAN FEDERAL REPUBLIC
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
JAPAN
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
REACTORS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
UNITED KINGDOM
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USSR