17 Jan (NucNet): Generation IV high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology is the best option for deployment in Poland because it offers an affordable and reliable heat source for domestic industry and will help reduce the country’s dependency on imported gas, a report for the Polish ministry of energy said.
The report, prepared by a team from the Polish National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) and commissioned by the ministry in July 2016, said HTGR deployment could also reduce CO2 emissions by replacing coal-fired boilers and pave the way for potential HTGR exports by Poland’s nuclear industry.
The report found that the HTGR’s main technological advantage over other high-temperature reactor designs lies in its “inherent safety”, which prevents core melting, and its technological maturity. The report said the HTGR’s technical parameters are “optimal” to the heat needs of Polish industry.
The report recommended the establishment of a special purpose company, owned mainly by Polish industrial heat consumers, which would develop a preconception study based on the findings of the NCBJ team and carry out negotiations with potential foreign partners. The successful conclusion of these steps would allow the beginning of the HTGR design phase, the report said.
According to the report, the cost of designing and licensing an HTGR is estimated at €120m ($147m), while the cost of building a single HTGR would be between €480-€620m. The report said the future price of steam produced by an HTGR would be comparable to the price of steam from gas boilers.
The report said the first commercial HTGRs could be commissioned in Poland around 2031. Design work would be carried out between 2019 and 2023 and construction could begin in 2026.
The report said the project company should simultaneously start design and construction work on a low-power HTGR demonstration reactor. This would speed up the design and licensing of commercial HTGRs.
The report recommends the design phase for the experimental reactor to begin in 2018 and the licensing and construction phase to take between 2020 and 2025. Preparation for the demonstration project will be supported by the European Union’s Gemini+ initiative, which is being funded by Euratom.
Poland does not have any nuclear units in commercial operation, but is considering a new-build programme.
The HTGR project is a standalone initiative by the Polish energy ministry’s nuclear department and the NCBJ, which operates the Maria research reactor on the outskirts of Warsaw.
HTGR is a type of inherently safe, modular, underground helium-cooled reactor technology. HTGRs supply energy in the form of steam or high temperature fluid that can be used for the generation of high efficiency electricity and to support a wide range of industrial processes requiring large amounts of heat or steam.
According to the US-based NGNP Industry Alliance, whose aim is to commercialise HTGR technology, safety “at the highest levels” is designed into the HTGR. No harmful release of radioactive material under any conditions is assured by design.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said significant efforts are underway to develop HTGRs. All these reactors are primarily fuelled by TRISO (tri iso-structural) coated particles.
In a report on HTGR technology the IAEA said there are “many advantages” of HTGRs over conventional water-cooled reactors from the safety point of view. The large mass of the graphite moderator provides high heat capacity and core materials are made of ceramic materials and usable at elevated temperatures. The helium coolant is inert and so chemical interactions between fuel, moderator, and coolant can be avoided.
A summary of the report is online (English): http://bit.ly/2B3TdvD
