Advance reactors and long term prospects in Asia Pacific region

The Asia Pacific region is host to a range of 'technology capture' and developmental reactor designs and projects. This is associated with test reactor and demonstration reactor programs. Japan has a long range program to develop core technologies supporting High Temperature Gas Reactors (HTGRs) focusing on 900-950C operations for power, process heat and hydrogen production. In China, there are a variety of Gen IV designs under construction, from the twin unit HTR-PM (210 MWe) to the BN-800 Sodium Fast Reactor which is being built with the help of OKBM Russia. The Molten Salt Reactor, which brings together the maturity of the TRISO fuel with the intrinsic safety of molten salt coolants, is being researched by SINAP Shanghai. Further west, India has an ambitious plan to implement a multi-staged uranium-plutonium-thorium fuel cycle to breed and bum fuel using a variety of fast and thermal reactors. The US maintains a formidable presence in reactor research with both private and public ventures investigating both fast and thermal neutron reactors. Advanced reactor research remains a national priority in all major Asian Pacific nations, given the ever increasing pressures of energy usage, pollution control and carbon reduction. How do we assess these programs, how should we engage with them and what are their prospects? This talk will cover a range of current developments and activities, including Gen IV reactors, and their implications in the Asia Pacific Region.