DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT GENERATION NUCLEAR PWNTS THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION - IN THE CASE OF HTGR PLANTS

摘要

Nuclear power is considered to be increasingly important and the only practical solution for solving global problems of energy and environment in 21st century. This is due to its less environmental impacts, level of technologies already attained, and quantity of resources available, in comparison with conventional power sources such as hydro, coal, oil and natural gas, and even new energies such as solar and wind.Nuclear energy, so far, has been mainly used as electric power. From now on, however, not only the electricity use but heat use should become valuable, from view point of enhancing overall energy use efficiency and expanding possible application areas of the energy.High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors (HTGRs) draw attention as next generation nuclear reactors, due to the high energy use efficiency, inherent and passive safety characteristics, which make plant siting near demand areas like cities easier, and highly improved economy by adopting a series of production and installation of modular type of reactors of small power unit, for example, as electric and/or heat power generation plants.HTGRs are considered inter-supplementary with the current nuclear reactor development policy, LWR-FBR. And recently, there are new movements of R&D and international cooperation on commercializing such HTGRs.