Christophe BEHAR, the CEA Director of the Nuclear Energy Division reminded the energy issues (increasing world energy needs, reduction of CO2 emissions, energy dependence rate…) before explaining the ongoing technological breakthroughs of GENIV reactors with in particular the Sodium Fast Reactor ASTRID.

1. TECHNOLOGICAL
BREAKTHROUGHS AND
ELECTRICITY OF
TOMORROW
Atoms for the future 2013 | Christophe Béhar
OCTOBER 21st, 2013
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 1

2. THE ENERGY ISSUES
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
| PAGE 2

3. A VERY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF THE WORLD ENERGY
NEEDS IN THE NEAR-FUTURE
*
Forecast : world Energy mix up jusqu'en
Projection : bouquet énergétique mondial to 2050 *2050
MTep par year
MTepper an
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
Source AIE (2006)
Charbon Oil Pétrole
Coal
Gaz
Gaz
Other Autres énergiesenergy
renewable renouvelables
Nucléaire
Nuclear
Hydraulique
Hydraulic
Whatever the scenario, the world energy needs is set to increase
significantly, mostly driven by non OECD countries development
* References : WORLD ENERGY OUTLOOK 2012
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 || PAGE 3

4. THE SITUATION OF EUROPE
EUROPA ENERGY POLICY CRITERIA
Energy Policy Criteria
• Lowering CO2 emission
• Lowering Cost
• Decreasing Energy Dependance Rate
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 4

5. LOWERING CO2 EMISSIONS
• Nuclear and Hydraulic Energy are the most efficient as regards to CO2
Emissions
• They will keep the bigger share of low carbon energy in 2035, whatever the
scenario (world energy outlook 2012)
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 5

6. LOWERING COST
Rapport Energies 2050
Nuclear Energy is set to remain competitive in the long term
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 6

7. DECREASING ENERGY DEPENDANCE RATE
by 2035 over 80% of our energy will be imported
Herman Van Rompuy
European business Summit/May 2013
The awareness of the Europe Energy Dependency on Europe competitivity is rising among European leaders
TRADE BALANCE FOR FRANCE
millions of euros
Fossil fuel imports represents over 95% of France’s trade deficit
in 2012- (69 billions €)
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 7

8. TWO PILLARS OF THE ENERGY MIX IN FRANCE IN 2020
RENEWABLE AND NUCLEAR ENERGY
France keeps heading fixed by the European Climate-Energy Package in 2020
Reduction by 20%
of the overall consumption
of primary energy
Reduction by 20%
of emissions of greenhouse
gases (compared to 1990)
With a 20% share
of renewable energy
in the energy mix
Nuclear and Renewable :
Two pillars of the 2020 French energy mix:
 Renewable: intermittent supply
 Nuclear energy: base-load supply
 preserve the use of fossil energies for necessary needs
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | 8

9. GEN IV SFR : A MAJOR
TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
|9

10. NUCLEAR SYSTEMS
1950
1970
1990
2010
2030
2050
2070
2090
Generation I
UNGG
CHOOZ
Generation II
LWR 900
LWR 1300
N4 1450
Generation III
EPR
LWR (2030-2040)
Flamanville
ASTRID
DESIGN
OPERATION
OF ASTRID
EXPERIENCE
Generation IV
ASTRID
Construction &
Operation of Fast Reactors
FEEDBACK
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013
10

11. FAST REACTOR AND ASSOCIATED FUEL CYCLE ARE A
KEYSTONE OF SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR ENERGY
FAST REACTOR INDISPENSABLE FOR

MASTERING PLUTONIUM STOCKPILE IN SPENT FUELS

USING THE TOTAL POTENTIAL ENERGETIC OF NATUREL URANIUM
 MINIMISING VOLUME AND RADIOTOXICITY OF NUCLEAR WASTE
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 11

12. TWO TYPES OF FNR UNDER STUDIES
1 - Sodium Fast Reactor, the reference option :
[ASTRID, the integrated technology demonstrator]
- maturity, possible further improvments
(safety, operability, economics)
- developped with industrial
and international partners
2 - Gas-cooled Fast Reactor, a long-term option:
the Allegro project
- Contribution of CEA to the V4G4 consortium (Hungary, Poland,
Czech Republic, Slovakia)
- attractive potentialities but heavy challenges…
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013

13. DERIVING THE R&D FROM THE FEEDBACK OF
EXPERIENCE 1/2
Feedback of previous SFRs
R&D directions
ASTRID Orientations
Core Sodium voiding
reactivity
 Safety
Optimization of core design to CFV core (Patented in 2010):
improve natural behavior
innovative approach, very low
during abnormal transients.
or negative overall sodium
voiding reactivity
Exploration of heterogeneous Better natural behavior of the
cores
core, for instance in case of
loss of flow (e.g. due to loss of
supply power)
Sodium-Water interaction
 Safety - Availability
Modular Steam Generators
Limitation of total released
energy in case of sodium-water
interaction
Inverted Steam Generators
(sodium in tubes)
Limitation of wastage
propagation
Gas Power Conversion
System (nitrogen in place of
steam/water)
Design studies conducted by
ALSTOM. No show stopper.
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 13

14. DERIVING THE R&D FROM THE FEEDBACK OF
EXPERIENCE 2/2
Feedback of previous SFRs
Sodium fire
 Safety
R&D directions
Innovative Sodium leak
detection systems
R&D on Sodium aerosols
ASTRID Orientations
Improving detection (Patent of
detection system integrated in
the heat insulator)
Close containment (inert gas +
restriction of available oxygen)
Severe accidents
 Safety
Core catcher
Research on corium and
sodium-corium interaction
Core catcher. Several possible
locations (in vessel, ex-vessel or
between the two vessels).
Decay heat removal
 Safety
Reactor vessel auxiliary
cooling system (scaling
rules)
Combination of proved Decay
Heat Removal systems and
Vessel Natural Air draft cooling
In-Service Inspection and
Repair
 Safety – Availability
Simplification of primary system design
ISI&R taken into account from the design stage
New techniques : Acoustic Detection, Laser, CRDS
Signal processing
Ultrasound at high temperature, High temperature fission
chambers, Optical Fibers, Flow meters for subassembly
Remote handling for inspection or repair
Under-sodium viewing
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 14

15. ASTRID ORIENTATIONS TO REDUCE THE SODIUM WATER
RISK
Recall : the first measure of prevention is the presence of the
intermediate and no radioactive sodium circuit to separate chemical risk
and radiological risk.
2 ways to reduce the SWR risk:
To review the SG design of the steam PCS (Rankine cycle) in order to :
- reduce the risk of SWR occurrence
- limit the consequences of an hypothetical violent reaction
To move to a gas PCS (Brayton cycle with pure nitrogen at 180 bar) in place of steam
cycle to eliminate de facto the SWR risk
Feasibility to be demonstrated.
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 15

16. DECAY HEAT REMOVAL
•
2 direct reactor cooling systems:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Na/Na in the main vessel
air as cold source,
Redondancy : 2 ou 3 trains per system
(2*100% ou 3*50%)
System n°1 : natural convection
System n°2 : forced convection
1 complémentary system (mitigation) :
• Through the Primary Vessel
Reactor
•
Cold source to be confirmed (water / air)

17. FROM LWRs RECYCLING TO FRs RECYCLING
Pu stored in MOX Spent
Fuel recycled in MOX
SFR to start the SFRs
deployement
Scenario can be flexible
Both systems can coexist
during a transition phase
RNR merits as regards to fuel cycle
No front end steps and no enrichment technology
Use depleted U; Use Pu included in MOX Spent Fuel
Multi-recycling of Pu
Possible recycling of Minor Actinides
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 17

18. FUEL CYCLE FACILITIES FOR ASTRID
ASTRID Fuel Fabrication Facilities
AFC Project (# 10 t/y), several scenarios under assessment
SFR closed cycle demonstration (U and Pu multi-recycling):
ATC, a Specific Engineering Scale Facility, or
adaptation of the La Hague Head End (shearing and dissolution)
M.A. transmutation demonstration: Extension of the AFC
RECYCLING
Waste
Assemblies
The ASTRID Fuel Cycle
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 18

19. SEPARATION PROCESSES STUDIED BY THE CEA
3 separation processes are
studied for the different
transmutation options under
consideration:
 SANEX (Selective minor ActiNide
EXtraction) : the aim is to recover
americium and curium after the
conventional reprocessing step
EXAm (Extraction of Americium) : the
aim is to recover americium alone after
conventional reprocessing
 GANEX (Group ActiNide Extraction) :
the aim is to recover plutonium
together with all minor actinides
The EXam separation is retained
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | 19

20. DIFFERENT TRANSMUTATION ROUTES FOR THE
MINOR ACTINIDES
Several approaches can be considered:
 Homogeneous
transmutation : recycling of minor
actinides by « dilution » in the fuel of neutron power
reactors
Heterogeneous transmutation : recycling of minor
Actinides in power reactors at higher concentrations in
a limited number of dedicated elements
 Transmutation by dedicated systems
The heterogeneous transmutation is now retained
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 20

21. CONCLUSION
The challenge is : to produce a free carbon electricity at reasonable coasts,
while ensuring energy independence and security of supplies
In this context, nuclear energy is indispensable: it is the only energy able to
produce baseload electricity massively and competitively without greenhous
gas emissions
To preserve these assets, it is essential to keep on innovating
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | PAGE 21

22. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
Christophe Béhar | October 21st, 2013 | 22