Review and proposals about the role of accelerator driven systems nuclear power

Accelerator Driven Systems can play a role in Radioactive Waste Transmutati on Scenarios, but also in innovative Nuclear Power Plant concepts, in parti cular in order to simplify the nuclear fuel cycle. Their improved safety ch aracteristics is also a beneficial feature in the perspective of very innov ative reactor concept. Finally, it seems that the use of Thorium can be fac ilitated (at least from a neutronics point of view) by the use of ADS. Thes e motivations justify relevant R and D programs in order to validate the co ncept. The present paper gives a number of arguments on the role of ADS, an d gives some characteristics of an innovative ADS system (TASSE), based on a Th-molten salts fuel. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.