10 Nov (NucNet): France’s Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (atomic and alternative energy commission; CEA) signed an agreement with Areva yesterday to collaborate on initial design studies for Astrid, the advanced Generation IV sodium technological reactor for industrial demonstration.
According to the CEA and Areva, the agreement paves the way for a French government decision in 2017 on whether to build the prototype fast neutron reactor.
The agreement means that the CEA will continue to lead the project and will design the reactor core and fuel. Areva will design the nuclear steam supply system, and will also be responsible for I&C (instrumentation and control) and the nuclear auxiliaries.
The first phase of preliminary design is to be completed in 2012.
Astrid is expected to produce roughly 600 megawatts of electricity, operating with a sodium-cooled, fast-neutron core.
This is the first industrial partnership for the Astrid project and follows the agreement between the French state and the CEA on 9 September 2010.
The accord gave the CEA overall responsibility for the project, providing 652 million euro (893 million US dollars) for the Astrid programme until completion of the detailed design phase in 2017.
Fast-neutron reactor projects, which are being explored or constructed in India, Russia, China and Japan, would allow a significant increase in the amount of energy obtained from either depleted or natural uranium.
The technology would also enable plutonium to be used and recycled several times, and minor actinides to be recycled.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
E.ON And CEA Plan Cooperation On Reactor Development And Fuel Cycles (News In Brief No. 114, 28 June 2010)
