Current state of the art in gas-cooled fast breeder reactor development

During the last 10 years considerable progress has been achieved in the development of the gas-cooled fast breeder design. Above all, is was the so far very successful Mol-experiment which has considerably contributed in strengthening the confidence put in the chosen fuel element design. In the field of reactor- and safety-techniques there is a clear convergency with regard to the characteristics and nature of a big gas breeder power station. In several examinations it has been shown that it would be good not to prevent well-developed gas bredders with their favorable breeding possibilities from being put on the market because of their initial costs being 20% higher compared with LWRs of course, this statement can only be confirmed by performing at least one big reactor that would have to be preceded by a 300 to 600 MWe demonstration power plant. (orig./RW)