Present status of technical development of demonstration FBRs in Japan, Europe and USA and possibility of cooperation

FBRs use plutonium as the fuel, which is produced by converting unfissionable uranium 238 in nuclear reactors, and have the feature that the amount of plutonium produced is more than that consumed. Major countries in the world have advanced the development of FBRs expected to play the leading part in future energy supply, but at present, their practical use is scheduled around 2010 due to the lowering of the growth of energy demand and the revision of the economy of FBRs. On the other hand, the phase of development approaches the stage of large scale demonstration plants. For the construction and engineering related to demonstration plants and the R and D to attain the reduction of cost, enormous development fund and man power are required, therefore, the tendency to reduce the burden and to steadily and effectively promote the development by international cooperation is strong. In Japan, the construction of Monju was started, aiming at the criticality in 1990, and the conceptual design of a 1000 MW class demonstration reactor is about to begin. The possibility of international cooperation, the fundamental concept and the proposal on the cooperation are discussed. (Kako, I.)