A Global Assessment of Fast Reactors in the Future

Conclusions: • Fast reactors are the only way to fully achieve nuclear sustainability. • The SFR market cannot exist if a recycling market is not already present. • SFR has many other advantages that clearly outwheight the disadvantages (this trend is increasing). • Large data uncertainties (on uranium resources, world nuclear fleet deployment) return the little precise period at which economic competitiveness will be reached. Anyway, it is most likely to occur sometime in the second half of the century. • However, the market will start earlier, as it is splitted in two phases: before and after the economic competitiveness (this event is in fact country-dependant): – In the first phase 0-2 reactors will be built every year; – In the second phase up to 10-15 reactors will be built every year. • It is rather probable that there will be no more than two or three different Gen IV technologies in the world, because of the market size