Assessment of Nuclear Energy Systems Based on a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle with Fast Reactors. A report of the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO)

A Joint Study was started in 2005 and completed in 2007 within the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO). Canada, China, France, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine participated in this study. The objectives were to assess a nuclear energy system based on a closed fuel cycle (CNFC) with fast reactors (FR) regarding its sustainability, determine milestones for the nuclear energy system deployment, and establish frameworks for, and areas of, collaborative R and D work. The assessment was carried out in accordance with the requirements of INPRO methodology and guiding documents of the Joint Study developed and approved by the participating parties (Canada and Ukraine participated in the discussions during the Joint Study, but did not contribute to the assessments themselves). The Joint Study was implemented in steps. In its first step, nominated experts, during the course of extensive discussions, analyzed the country/region/world context data; discussed national and global scenarios of introduction of the CNFC-FR systems; identified technologies suitable for the INS; and arrived at a broad definition of a common CNFC-FR system. In the second step, the participants of the study examined characteristics of CNFC-FR systems for compliance with criteria of sustainability developed in the INPRO methodology in the area of economics, safety, environment, waste management, proliferation resistance, and infrastructure. The results of the study were submitted to and endorsed by the INPRO Steering Committee in meetings held in Vienna 2005 - 2007. The authors of the Joint Study report highly appreciate the valuable comments provided by delegates of the INPRO Steering Committee meetings as well as the advice and assistance of the other experts. Due to the length of the Joint Study report, a summary of the results was produced, which is the content of this publication. The full text of the Joint Study report is available as IAEA working material