Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
William Magwood is now the director general of the NEA. He was the first chairman of the Gen IV International Forum (GIF) when it was founded in 2000. The forum was spawned from the need for the U.S. to restart its nuclear program from “nothing”. This prompted the GIF to undertake bilateral agreements to collaborate with other countries to work together on projects. This led to a recognition of the value of a global approach to the deployment of new reactor technology. In 2000, as commonalities became clear, the logic of the GIF was immediately apparent.
The world has changed a lot since the forum was established according to Magwood. The GIF was established as a forum for research and development driven by government laboratories and ministries. Over time, the emphasis has shifted towards more industry-driven research and development. This is a future challenge for the GIF but Magwood said that the forum could accomplish it.
The panelists discussed the idea that smaller reactors may be a reason for entrance of advanced Gen IV reactors into the marketplace, but they agreed that Gen IV should address the entire fuel cycle. said. Christophe Behar was the GIF's vice-chair from 2010 to 2015. He recognizes that Gen IV reactors will face stiff competition from Generation III reactors. However, he pointed out that there are a number of reasons why fast neutron reactors might be deployed in preference to light-water reactors. One of the main reasons was the ability of Gen IV reactors to maximize the nuclear fuel resource base and minimize high-level radioactive wastes.
John Kelly was the GIF chairman from 2013 to 2015. He said that the prospects for the demonstration and commercial deployment of Gen IV technology are steadily improving. Gen IV reactors are well situated in the marketplace against the backdrop of the global interest in innovative technologies to help mitigate climate change. In addition to the affect of the climate change driver, public acceptance and financing would also be needed for successful Gen IV deployment. He challenged the supporters of Gen IV technology to become more “public-facing and outward-looking”.
Kelly identified project financing as a major barrier that had to be dealt with. This holds for technology deployment beyond the government-controlled demonstration phase. He said, “We need to form partnerships with industry … this can then drive innovation within our program."
Panelists identified working with licensing authorities on codes and standards a major future focus for the GIF. Magwood said that the GIF would have benefitted from an earlier focus on practical codes and standards from the beginning. In addition, he said that it would definitely have been beneficial to have an earlier focus on how to get to a demonstration of Gen IV technology. He did acknowledge that this would not have been practical in the early days of the GIF because of political issues.
Francis Gauche was the GIF chairman from 2016 to 2018. He said that the forum should now ensure that it builds on the work that it has already started to engage with the younger generation in the nuclear industry. He added that the GIF should also connect with new companies, startups and entrepreneurs. Hideki Kamide is the current chairman of the GIF. She said that the forum would continue to welcome new members that are interested in Gen IV technology.