The high temperature reactor

The excellent safety technology and operating characteristics of the high temperature reactor were demonstrated in more than 30 years of development and with the operational experience of 3 HTR prototype reactors. The HTR has confirmed its suitability as a universal energy source for the electricity and heating market. Because of its power flexibility the HTR is also an important option for the future power plant market which will be characterized by shortages and strict environmental protection laws. Because of this and in spite of unfavorable circumstances presently surrounding the energy market, the further development of the HTR and its introduction on the market in important industrial nations is being consequently carried on. In the USA, the MHTGR is planned as one of the solutions for the demands on future American nuclear power plants. Japan has decided to build an HTR as a research plant for the study of nuclear process heat. The Soviet Union has decided to build a large-scale research station to study the utilization of process heat, and is cooperating to this end with the Federal Republic of Germany. As a long-term strategy, the firms ABB and Siemens have decided to conduct product development and marketing of the HTR with spherical fuel elements on a joint basis. In order to be prepared for the demands of the future nuclear energy market, and based on experience with the 15 MW AVR-reactor and the THTR-300, these companies are developing reactors for the electricity and heating markets with power sizes (HTR-500, HTR-Module, GHR-10) capable of meeting varying needs. 13 figs., 5 refs