Treasure Project

Project objectives

• Further optimization of the GFR fuel design and fuel cycle.
• Exploring possibilities to further reduce produced waste and to further enhance proliferation resistance in GFRs.
• ALLEGRO safety concept demonstration, including large-scale experimental verification.
• Optimization of operation flexibility and performance of GFRs, using intermediate heat storage system, cogeneration, and hydrogen production.
• Further enhancing ALLEGRO safety via use of passive and redundant safety systems.
• Attracting students and young professionals to work on GFR development.

The project main objectives will be achieved through a set of targeted research and development activities focusing on newly emerged topics such as the need for flexibility of operation of nuclear reactors, or those that have not yet been thoroughly investigated in GFRs and ALLEGRO specifically. These activities cover the following areas and specific project objectives:

Further optimization of the GFR fuel design and fuel cycle

• Further explore the GFR fuel cycle specifics and possibilities and develop enhanced strategies of GFR specific fuel utilisation to allow further waste minimization with focus to refractory fuel.
• Propose new methods and means for reprocessing and utilisation of the UOX fuel from LWR for GFR purposes.
• Enhance inherent proliferation resistance and security of ALLEGRO spent fuel.
• Outline the process of qualification of the MOX fuel coming from reprocessing of LWRs UOX fuel, and drawing the roadmap of activities for this goal.
• Propose a conceptual design of the ALLEGRO fuel system compatible with the latest standards.

ALLEGRO safety concept demonstration

• Showcase the effectivity of the decay heat removal concept in the scaled-down electrically heated prototype facility S-ALLEGRO
• Test scaled-down prototypes of key components of the decay heat removal system in the prototypical conditions.
• Reduce the uncertainty ranges and increase accuracy of existing computational chains and models both by enhanced simulation tools and by conducting new specifically targeted experiments on existing facilities.

Optimization of operation flexibility and performance of GFRs

• Enhance safety and operation aspects of GFR integrated energy system through study of heat energy intermediate storage system, cogeneration and utilisation of the heat produced for hydrogen production or for other industrial applications.

Further enhancing ALLEGRO safety

• Push forward ALLEGRO operation safety with focus on reactivity control optimization,
• both for normal operation and accidental conditions, and on long-term decay heat removal.
• Extend the understanding and propose approaches and means for severe accident prevention and mitigation of their consequences as for minimising criticality issues in progressively degraded core during severe accidents.
• Discuss the safety options, approach, and principles with the regulators, that are directly involved in the project.

Continue to attract students and young professionals to work on GFR development

• Provide space for students and young professionals to work on the project tasks alongside experienced experts as a part of their on-job training.
• Attract new students and young professionals via direct involvement of universities, and organizing events targeted to students.
  
  

Background

Nuclear energy constitutes a significant part of the low-emission energy production market in Europe, currently guaranteeing the secure and reliable supply of base-load electricity in the recently turbulent situation on the energy market. Nuclear energy is therefore recognized by many of the EU countries as a low-carbon energy source to be included in the future energy mix. Cooperative European R&D projects such as this proposal also help to ensure that the EU will maintain its technological leadership in the nuclear domain, so as not to increase energy and technology dependence.

The long-term plans predict further development of the nuclear reactor fleet as a part of well-balanced energy mix in France, Great Britain, countries from the Central Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia), as well as countries from eastern and south-eastern parts of the continent. These plans also include development of advanced nuclear reactors such as GFRs needed for long-term sustainability of the nuclear energy sector in Europe. Moreover, high-temperature reactors such as GFR will play a major role in deep decarbonization of the industry by providing low-emission heat to replace burning fossil fuels.

The main objective of the TREASURE project is to reach a significantly higher level of maturity of the GFR technology, and its European demonstration unit, ALLEGRO, in particular, by following the safety-by-design approach. It will be achieved through continuation of a very successful and long-term international collaboration on development of the Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) technology in Europe. The project will showcase that an advanced reactor of GFR type can be designed and operated efficiently and that it may significantly contribute to transition to a sustainable low-carbon energy production, while being coherent with all the safety standards and requirements for modern advanced reactors.

A major effort is expected to be put into tasks proving that GFR can be operated reliably, and in a versatile manner, expanding the list of potential customers of its industrial units in the future. The combination of production of hightemperature heat suitable for various industrial processes with high-efficiency electricity cogeneration, while keeping the produced spent fuel and other waste at minimum, are the main features of the GFR technology, and the TREASURE project will contribute to further demonstrate these abilities.

Impact

Thanks to the large effort already spent by all involved teams, the ALLEGRO demonstrator concept is already developed to the state where it is ready to enter the basic design phase. The TREASURE project focuses on consolidation of the design to even out the differences in levels of detail in various systems and components, and to start to prepare ALLEGRO for the commencement of requisite licensing processes, including establishing the foundations for its future construction. The TREASURE project presents a major precondition to the continuation of the ALLEGRO development and very important contribution to the success of the ALLEGRO project plans, as well as success of development of the GFR technology in Europe as a whole. Analogous activities, related to GFR development, are ongoing in several non-EU countries, mainly in China and the USA. Without the TREASURE project, having only scattered national resources, it is very probable that Europe will soon lose its leadership in development of this technology. This would result in lagging expertise and loss of technological competitiveness of the EU teams dealing with nuclear safety and nuclear development. Moreover, as incorporated in the TREASURE project, its implementation will consolidate and harmonise key activities, thus representing a significant contribution of the EURATOM to the Generation IV International Forum.