Present status and future program of HTR-research and development in Switzerland

Research, Development and Design of Gas-cooled Reactors have already a long and well accepted tradition in Switzerland. These activities began with the design and construction of an experimental gas-cooled power station of 30 MW by the Swiss industry in the early sixties. Swiss industry restricted themselves to the development and the supply of reactor systems and components only. Through extensive research and the participation in various international projects such as AGR, AVR, FSV, THTR, HHT, HTR etc., it was possible to gain valuable know-how, which qualified the Swiss industry as reliable manufactures of reactor components and enabled them to render all kinds of engineering services for nuclear power plants. In order to utilize the existing vast experience, the companies concerned and the PSI agreed in 1979 to join as partners and established the 'Swiss Community for the Development of Nuclear Technology' called IGNT. Partners of IGNT are ABB, Baden; Sulzer, Winterthur; B + G, Lausanne; EWI, Zuerich; Colenco, Baden; and the Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research (PSI). IGNT represents and coordinates the activities of the partners, especially in the field of the high temperature gas-cooled reactors. As a consequence of this partnership, the members of IGNT engaged themselves in the development of the HTR-Technology in general and particularly in the design of the HTR-500. Another project which was pursued in Switzerland over the recent years, is the gascooled heating reactor, a small pebble-bed HTR of 10 to 20 MW for district heating purposes. In 1988 work on this project has been terminated for political reasons, but will probably be taken up in 1990/91. (author)