Saturday, December 07, 2013

The Generation IV International Forum

Preparing Today for Tomorrow´s Energy Needs
El Foro Internacional de la Generación IV (GIF) es un esfuerzo de cooperación internacional organizada para llevar a cabo la investigación y el desarrollo (I + D) que se necesita para establecer la capacidad de viabilidad y de rendimiento de los sistemas de energía nuclear de nueva generación.
El IV Foro Internacional de la Generación tiene trece miembros signatarios de su documento fundacional, la Carta GIF. Argentina, Brasil, Canadá, Francia, Japón, la República de Corea, la República de Sudáfrica, el Reino Unido y los Estados Unidos firmaron la Carta del GIF en julio de 2001.Posteriormente, fue firmado por Suiza en 2002, Euratom en 2003, y la República Popular de China y la Federación Rusa,
ambos en 2006.
Las metas adoptadas por GIF sirvieron de base para la identificación y selección de seis sistemas de energía nuclear para el desarrollo adicional. Los seis sistemas seleccionados emplean una variedad de reactores, la conversión de energía y tecnologías del ciclo de combustible. Sus diseños tienen espectros de neutrones térmicos y rápidos, los ciclos de combustible cerrados y abiertos y una amplia gama de tamaños de los reactores de muy pequeño a muy grande. Dependiendo de sus respectivos grados de madurez técnica, se espera que los sistemas de IV generación que estén disponibles para su introducción comercial en el período comprendido entre 2015 y 2030 o más allá.



About the GIF

The thirteen members of the GIF (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Euratom, France, Japan, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Republic of South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States) are working together as the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) to lay the groundwork for the fourth generation of nuclear energy systems — Generation IV.
From the beginning, GIF members sought to have the most flexible working arrangements to define Generation IV systems and their R&D. As with many other large-scale R&D initiatives, the GIF adopted a roadmapping approach to setting goals for Generation IV nuclear energy systems. The result was the Technology Roadmap for Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems, which selected the six most promising systems and identified the research and development needed to develop them.
GIF operations are overseen by a Policy Group, supported by an Experts Group. The Policy Group acts as a decision-making body for high-level initiatives and issues, while the Experts Group oversees the various cross-cutting and methodology collaborations. Both groups include representatives from all members.
The GIF has no permanent facilities, budget or staff; members contribute staff time and the use of facilities as needed. The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency serves as a Technical Secretariat to the GIF.
Download an Overview of the GIF (pdf, 161 kb)
"A New Generation of Nuclear to Lead the Way" - article by Jacques Bouchard, Chair, and Ralph Bennett, Technical Director,
Generation IV International Forum, published in Energy Focus Spring 2009Download here (3 Mb)

2012 Annual Report

The second Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Symposium took place in San Diego, California, USA, on 14-15 November 2012 in conjunction with the Winter Meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS). These proceedings present the latest developments in the GIF programme, and as such represent the GIF Annual Report for 2012. They contain the full papers presented during the first day's open sessions as well as updates on developments related to the six GIF systems, the work performed by the horizontal working groups and the "Safety Design Criteria" task force, and the strategic planning activities of the GIF. The symposium was preceded by the ANS President's Special Session which marked the ten-year anniversary of the GIF Technology Roadmap. Former Chairs William Magwood and Jacques Bouchard were honoured during this special session, in the presence of the current GIF Chair Yutaka Sagayama and GIF Vice-Chair Christophe Béhar. A summary of their speeches is reprinted herein, courtesy of the ANS.
Download the GIF 2012 Annual Report (pdf, 4.2 mb)

2011 Annual Report

This fifth edition of the GIF Annual Report highlights the main achievements of the Forum in 2011, and in particular, the progress made in the collaborative R&D activities of the ten existing project arrangements. In July 2011, all 13‑members signed the extension of the GIF Charter, thus enabling the Forum to continue collaborating on the development of the six Generation IV nuclear energy systems under the organisational framework provided by the Charter and the intergovernmental Framework Agreement. Taking into account lessons learnt from the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the Forum is developing safety design criteria in support of future licensing activities. In 2011, this mainly focused on the sodium-cooled fast reactor. Another highlight of 2011 was the Russian signature of the system arrangement for the supercritical-water-cooled reactor system, and the memorandum of understanding for the lead-cooled fast reactor.
Download the GIF 2011 Annual Report (pdf, 3.2 mb)

2010 Annual Report

This fourth edition of the GIF Annual Report highlights the main achievements of the Forum in 2010. The ten active members are continuing their efforts to develop the six most promising concepts for the future generation of nuclear power as selected when the Forum was established. Two additional R&D Project Arrangements became effective in 2010, increasing the total to ten. Two Memorandum of Understanding were also signed to facilitate co-operation on the lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR) and molten salt reactor (MSR) systems.
Download the GIF 2010 Annual Report (pdf, 3 mb)

 

2009 Annual Report

The third edition of the GIF Annual Report highlights the main achievements of the Forum held in 2009. After the signature of the Framework Agreement by the Russian Federation, ten active members are now sharing their efforts in developing the six more promising concepts for the future generation of nuclear power plants as selected at the origin of the Forum. Three more R&D Project Arrangements became effective in 2009, including the first Project Arrangements for Gas-cooled Fast Reactor and Super Critical Water-cooled Reactor. The GIF Symposium, held in Paris, France, in September 2009 offered the opportunity to representatives from all GIF entities to present the progress and main achievements of the different groups during the past ten years, as well as to present their priorities for the next five years to both the GIF community and other stakeholders.
Download the GIF 2009 Annual Report (pdf, 2.7 mb)

2009 GIF Symposium (Proceedings - ISBN 978-92-64-99115-6)

 

2009 R&D Outlook

This Generation IV R&D Outlook provides a view of what the GIF members hope to achieve collectively in the next five years.
GIF_R&D_Outlook_for_Generation_IV_Nuclear_Energy_Systems (pdf, 730 kb)

 

2008 Annual Report

This 2008 Annual Report is the second annual report issued by GIF. It provides an update on the GIF organization, membership, and participation in R&D projects for each Generation IV system. It summarizes the milestones for development of each system and progress of the R&D toward their accomplishment. Finally, it includes a brief description of the cooperation between GIF and other international endeavors for the development of nuclear energy.
Download the GIF 2008 Annual Report (pdf, 2.3 mb)

 

2007 Annual Report

This annual report is the first to be issued by the GIF. It summarizes the GIF goals and accomplishments throughout 2007, describes its membership and organization, and provides an overview of its cooperation with other international endeavors for the development of nuclear energy. Future editions will focus on technical progress.
Download the GIF 2007 Annual Report (pdf, 3.3 mb)

GIF Charter

The founding document of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), a framework for international cooperation in research and development for the next generation of nuclear energy systems, are set out in the GIF Charter, first signed in July 2001 by Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, Republic of Korea, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Charter has since been signed by Switzerland (2002), Euratom (2003) and most recently by the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation, both in November 2006.

Framework Agreement

This unique international effort reached a major milestone at the end of April 2010 as ten* of the forum's member countries signed the world's first agreement aimed at the international development of advanced nuclear energy systems, the Framework Agreement for International Collaboration on Research and Development of Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems. The annex to the Framework Agreement lists the implementing agents.
Parties to GIF Framework Agreement and System Arrangements
Member
Implementing Agents
Framework
Agreement
System Arrangements
Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)
 
 
GFR
SCWR
SFR
VHTR
LFR
MSR
Argentina
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Brazil
 
 
  
  
 
 
  
Canada
X
  
X
 
1
  
Euratom2
X
X
X
X
X
XX
France
Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et auxÉnergies alternatives (CEA)
X
X
 
X
X
 X
Japan
X
X
X
X
X
X 
People's Republic of China
China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) 
Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)
X
 
 
X
X
  
Republic of Korea
X
 
 
X
X
  
Republic of South Africa
Department of Energy (DoE)
X
 
 
 
 
  
Russian Federation
 X 
 
 
X
 
X 
Switzerland
X
X
 
 
X
  
United Kingdom
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
United States
X
 
 
X
X
  
* Among the signatories to the Charter, ten Members (Canada, Euratom, France, Japan, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of South Africa, Russian Federation, Switzerland and the United States) have signed or acceded to the Framework Agreement (FA) as shown in the table above, other signatories to the Charter are Non-Active Members.

1 Canada was a signatory to the VHTR System Arrangement from 11/2006 to 12/2012.

2 The European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) is the implementing organisation for development of nuclear energy within the European Union.

System Arrangements

The GIF has established System Steering Committees to implement the research and development for each Generation IV reactor concept, with participation by GIF Members interested in contributing to collaborative R&D. Each System Steering Committee plans and integrates R&D projects contributing to the development of a system. Participants in System Committees, and in projects, sign agreements governing intellectual property rights and other matters in order to work cooperatively on the concepts. The Charter of the GIF and the Framework Agreement allow for the participation of organizations from non-GIF countries on all research projects, but not on Systems Steering Committees.
The current System Arrangements in place are set out in the table below.
SystemPartnersJoining Date
 Gas-cooled fast reactor system (GFR)
  JRC (Euratom)November 2006
  CEA (France)November 2006
  JAEA (Japan)November 2006
  PSI (Switzerland)November 2006
   
Supercritical-water-cooled reactor system (SCWR)
 NRCan (Canada)November 2006
 JRC (Euratom)November 2006
 ANRE (Japan)February 2007
 ROSATOM (Russian Federation)July 2011
    
Sodium-cooled fast reactor system (SFR)
 MOST (China)March 2009
 JRC (Euratom)November 2006
 CEA (France)February 2006
 JAEA (Japan)February 2006
 MEST (Korea)April 2006
 ROSATOM (Russian Federation)July 2010
  DOE (USA)February 2006
   
Very-high-temperature reactor system (VHTR)
 NRCan (Canada)*November 2006
 CAEA (China)October 2008
 JRC (Euratom)November 2006
 CEA (France)November 2006
 JAEA (Japan)November 2006
 MEST (Korea)November 2006
 PSI (Switzerland)November 2006
 DOE (USA)November 2006
   
    
 * Canada was a signatory to the VHTR System Arrangement from 11/2006 to 12/2012.

Project Arrangements

Within each System Arrangement, a limited number of common R&D Projects has been defined, with well defined deliverables, milestones and time schedule, and within a clearly defined contractual framework.
An important milestone for the GIF was reached in March 2007 with the signature of the first Project Arrangement, regarding advanced fuel for the SFR system. Signed by the five partners to the SFR System Arrangement, the project agreement sets out a detailed plan for research and development activities in this area and details the schedule, funding and deliverables expected to achieve this.
Two further Project Arrangements have been signed in 2007 covering: the Global Actinide Cycle International Demonstration (GACID) PA; and the Component Design and Balance-Of-Plant (CDBOP) PA. As of June 2009, the fourth Project Arrangement, the Safety and Operation (SO) PA has been signed. The CD&BOP project aims to develop key components and devices of the plant system and to investigate safe and effective power conversion concepts. The GACID project sets out to demonstrate on a significant scale that fast neutron reactors can manage the whole actinide inventory.
In the VHTR system, three PAs have been signed: the Fuel and Fuel Cycle (FFC) PA; the Hydrogen Production (HP) PA and The Material (MAT). The Fuel & Fuel Cycle project works on TRISO coated particles, which are the basic fuel concept for the VHTR, need to be qualified for relevant service conditions. R&D will increase the understanding of standard design UO2 kernel with SiC/PyC coating and examine the use of UCO kernels and ZrC coatings for enhanced burn-up capability, reduced fission product permeation and increased resistance to core heat-up accidents (above 1600°C). The HP project will consider two main processes: the sulfur/iodine thermo-chemical cycle and the high-temperature electrolysis process. R&D will address feasibility, optimization, efficiency and economics evaluation for small and large scale hydrogen production.
Regarding the SCWR system, the Thermal-hydraulics and Safety PMB members established the Project Plan, which is a key component of the Project Arrangement signed by signatories from Canada, Euratom, and Japan effectively on October 5th, 2009. Significant gaps exist in the heat transfer and critical flow databases for the SCWR. Data at prototypical SCWR conditions are needed. The design-basis accidents for a SCWR have some similarities with conventional water reactors, but the difference in thermal-hydraulic behaviour and large changes in fluid properties around the critical point compared to water at lower temperatures and pressures need to be better understood.
Several other projects are in the process of signature, and others are defined already and their membership agreed upon by interested parties on a provisional basis.


Project Arrangements Status
Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor
Effective date
Signatories
Advanced Fuel (AF)2007
JRC (EU)
CEA (FR)
JAEA (JP)
KAERI (KR)
DOE (US)
Global Actinide Cycle International Demonstration (GACID)2007
CEA (FR)
JAEA (JP)
DOE (US)
Component Design and Balance-of-plant (CD&BOP)2007CEA (FR)
JAEA (JP)
KAERI (KR)
DOE (US)
Safety & Operation (SO)2009CEA (FR)
JAEA (JP)
KAERI (KR)
DOE (US)
2012CIAE (CN)
EURATOM (EU)
CEA (FR)
JAEA (JP)
KAERI (KR)
ROSATOM (RU)
DOE (US)
SCWR
Effective date
Signatories
Thermal-Hydraulics and Safety (TH&S)2009NRCan (CA)
JRC (EU)
IAE (JP)
Materials and Chemistry (M&C)2010NRCan (CA)
JRC (EU)
IAE (JP)
Very-High-Temperature Reactor
Effective date
Signatories
Fuel and Fuel Cycle (FFC)2008JRC (EU)
CEA (FR)
JAEA (JP)
KAERI (KR)
DOE (US)
Hydrogen Production (HP)2008NRCan (CA)
JRC (EU)
CEA (FR)
JAEA (JP)
KAERI (KR)
DOE (US)
Material (MAT)2009NRCan (CA)
JRC (EU)
CEA (FR)
JAEA (JP)
KAERI (KR)
PBMR (ZA)
PSI (CH)
DOE (US)
Gas-cooled Fast Reactor
Effective date
Signatories
Conceptual Design and Safety (CDS)2009JRC (EU)
CEA (FR)
PSI (CH) 
* SFR Component Design and Balance-Of-Blant
Evolution of Nuclear Energy Systems
Source: Nuclear Energy Today © OECD/Nuclear Energy Agency 2012
Download an Overview of the GIF (pdf, 161 kb)
 Generation IV Technology Systems
Generation IV nuclear energy systems are future, next-generation technologies that will compete in all markets with the most cost-effective technologies expected to be available over the next three decades.
Comparative advantages include reduced capital cost, enhanced nuclear safety, minimal generation of nuclear waste, and further reduction of the risk of weapons materials proliferation. Generation IV systems are intended to be responsive to the needs of a broad range of nations and users.
The Generation IV systems selected by the GIF for further study are:
These systems offer significant advances in sustainability, safety and reliability, economics, proliferation resistance and physical protection.
Download an Overview of the GIF (pdf, 161 kb)

A Technology Roadmap for Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems

The technology roadmap defines and plans the necessary research and development (R&D) to support the next generation of innovative nuclear energy systems known as Generation IV. The roadmap has been an international effort of ten countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency.
Beginning in 2001, over 100 experts from these countries and international organizations began work on defining the goals for new systems, identifying many promising concepts, and evaluating them, and defining the R&D needed for the most promising systems. By the end of 2002, the work resulted in a description of the six most promising systems and their associated R&D needs. The six systems feature increased safety, improved economics for electricity production and new products such as hydrogen for transportation applications, reduced nuclear wastes for disposal, and increased proliferation resistance.
Download the Technology roadmap (pdf, 4.4 mb)
In 2009, the Experts Group published an outlook on Generation IV R&D, to provide a view of what GIF members hope to achieve collectively in the period 2010-2014.
Download Gen IV R&D Outlook (pdf, 730 kb)

Frequently asked questions

 

  • I've heard a lot about Generation IV reactors. What are they and what are Generation II and III reactors?
  • So, in what ways will Generation IV reactors be different from today's reactors? Does this mean that present day reactors are unsafe, unsustainable and dirty? (Has Gen-IV got anything to do with nuclear fusion? But why should we back both generation IV and fusion ... if fusion is successful, won't this make Gen-IV obsolete?)
  • Will Generation IV reactors help us to achieve our ambitious CO2 reduction targets, improve security of energy supply/competitiveness?
  • So, Generation IV means widespread use of fast breeder reactors and therefore reprocessing...but won't this mean we need more large reprocessing plants like at La Hague and Sellafield, leading to more low-level radioactive waste and increased radioactive effluent discharges to the environment? These new reprocessing plants will enable all the minor actinides produced in the reactor to be recycled back into fresh fuel...this might be good to reduce the proliferation risk, but won't this lead to increased radiation exposure of workers in both the reprocessing and fuel fabrication plants? But surely we cannot recycle everything...exactly how much highly toxic radioactive waste will be produced each year by a typical Generation IV reactor, and how does this compare with current reactors? Won't this mean we'll still need to find a solution to long-term management of such waste, e.g. construction and operation of geological disposal facilities?
  • The availability and extent of uranium reserves and the associated cost is a controversial issue; is there any impact on the deployment strategy of Generation-IV systems?
  • What about the use of Thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle?
  • What is the GIF?
  • What is the GNEP?
  • What are the differences and/or links between the GIF and GNEP?
  • What is INPRO?
  • Is there collaboration between the GIF and INPRO?
  • There must be many possible advanced reactor designs ... Why is the GIF looking at only six of these?
  • On what basis were the six systems chosen for the R&D phase?
  • Will the six systems be safer than existing systems? Will the six systems be cheaper to run than existing systems?
  • What inherent aspects of the systems under development will guard against nuclear proliferation?
  • Will all six systems be ready for industrial deployment by 2030? When will the first prototype reactor be built? By whom? Is the intention to exploit all six of these Generation IV reactor types on a commercial basis?
  • What is the difference between the fast neutron reactors developed in the past, and those to be developed within the Gen-IV framework?
  • Does the GIF have any legal basis? How does it operate?
  • How is the GIF financed?
  • Shouldn't it be the nuclear industry's job to develop and commercialize new reactors?
  • How does a country become a member of the GIF? Why are some countries listed as being "non-active" members of the GIF? Is there any concern that these "non-active" members will withdraw completely from the GIF?
  • Where are the GIF offices? What is the NEA's role in the GIF?
Download an Overview of the GIF (pdf, 161 kb)

Contact Us

For press enquiries or any other queries, please contact the Generation IV International Forum care of the webmaster of this site:
You can also write to the GIF care of the OECD/NEA, which acts as the GIF Technical Secretariat:
Generation IV International Forum
c/o OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
Le Seine Saint-Germain
12, boulevard des Îles
F-92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux
France
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