Professional Documents
Culture Documents
September 2012
FOREWORD
There is renewed interest in Member States in the development and application of small and medium sized reactors (SMRs) having an equivalent electric power of less than 700MW(e) or even less than 300 MW(e). At present, most new nuclear power plants under construction or in operation are large, evolutionary designs with power levels of up to 1700 MW(e), building on proven systems while incorporating technological advances. The considerable development work on small to medium sized designs generally aims to provide increased benefits in the areas of safety and security, nonproliferation, waste management, and resource utilization and economy, as well as to offer a variety of energy products and flexibility in design, siting and fuel cycle options. Specifically, SMRs address deployment needs for smaller grids and lower rates of increase in demand. They are designed with modular technology, pursuing economies of series production, factory fabrication and short construction times. The projected timelines of readiness for deployment of SMR designs generally range from the present to 20252030. The objective of this booklet is to provide Member States, including those considering initiating a nuclear power programme and those already having practical experience in nuclear power, with a brief introduction to the IAEA Advanced Reactors Information System (ARIS) by presenting a balanced and objective overview of the status of SMR designs. This report is intended as a supplementary booklet to ARIS, which can be accessed at http://aris.iaea.org.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................... LIGHT WATER REACTORS
CAREM (CNEA, Argentina) .................................................................................................... FBNR (FURGS, Brazil) ............................................................................................................ 4 6 1
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