Industrial aspects of revisited HTRs

The 'new' High Temperature Reactors (HTRs) are based on the direct gas turb ine cycle which brings high inherent safety together with high efficiency. This combination makes them attractive cost-wise for countries with small a nd medium size grids that cannot afford larger units. For others, their fue l flexibility gives them extra attraction as burners of Plutonium (from wea pons or LWR reprocessing) or to decrease minor actinide build-up by use of thorium. Extrapolation of existing technologies, mostly materials, are need ed to bring the concept to life. The EU framework programme and collaborati on with the Japanese and Chinese developments should help realise this wish . Two industrial groupings have launched the PBMR and GT-MHR concepts. Prom otion of such forward looking concepts will also help attract talented youn g people to nuclear industry. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.