• Demonstrate the capability to fabricate at semi-industrial level dedicated
transmuter fuel heavily loaded in minor actinides;
• Design and construct one or more dedicated transmuters;
• Demonstration of advanced reprocessing of transmuter fuel together with the
fabrication of new transmuter fuel.
MYRRHA will support this roadmap by playing the role of an accelerator-driven
system prototype (at reasonable power level) and as a flexible irradiation facility
providing fast neutrons for the qualification of materials and fuel for an industrial
transmuter. MYRRHA will be capable of irradiating samples of this inert matrix
fuels, but it is also foreseen to house fuel pins or even a limited number of fuel
assemblies heavily loaded with MAs for irradiation and qualification purposes.
7.6 Conclusions
SCK•CEN is proposing to replace its aging flagship facility, the Material Testing
Reactor BR2, by a new flexible irradiation facility, MYRRHA. Considering international and European needs, MYRRHA is conceived as a flexible fast spectrum
irradiation facility able to work in both subcritical and critical mode. Despite
several nonobvious design challenges, such as the use of LBE, the increased level
of seismic loading (consequence of Fukushima), or the choice of passive mode for
decay heat removal in emergency conditions, we found no significant showstopper
in the design. The R&D program that is running in parallel has taken into account
international recommendations from experts concerning the remaining technological challenges as mentioned in Section VI (above).
MYRRHA is now foreseen to be in full operation by 2025, and it will be able to
be operated in both operation modes, subcritical and critical. In subcritical mode, it
will demonstrate the ADS technology and the efficient demonstration of MA in
subcritical mode. As a fast spectrum irradiation facility, it will address fuel research
for innovative reactor systems, material research for GEN IV systems and for fusion
reactors, radioisotope production for medical and industrial applications, and
industrial applications, such as Si-doping.
The MYRRHA design has now entered into the Front End Engineering Phase,
covering the period 2012–2015. The engineering company that handles this phase
has currently started the work. At the end of this phase, the purpose is to have
• Progressed in such a way in the design of the facility that the specifications for
the different procurement packages of the facility can be written,
• Adequately addressed the remaining outstanding R&D issues,
• obtained the construction and exploitation permits, and
• Formed the international members’ consortium for MYRRHA.
Belgium and SCK•CEN have opened participation in the MYRRHA to EU member
states and to the European Commission but also to worldwide participation, as the
70
H.A. Abderrahim
transmuter fuel heavily loaded in minor actinides;
• Design and construct one or more dedicated transmuters;
• Demonstration of advanced reprocessing of transmuter fuel together with the
fabrication of new transmuter fuel.
MYRRHA will support this roadmap by playing the role of an accelerator-driven
system prototype (at reasonable power level) and as a flexible irradiation facility
providing fast neutrons for the qualification of materials and fuel for an industrial
transmuter. MYRRHA will be capable of irradiating samples of this inert matrix
fuels, but it is also foreseen to house fuel pins or even a limited number of fuel
assemblies heavily loaded with MAs for irradiation and qualification purposes.
7.6 Conclusions
SCK•CEN is proposing to replace its aging flagship facility, the Material Testing
Reactor BR2, by a new flexible irradiation facility, MYRRHA. Considering international and European needs, MYRRHA is conceived as a flexible fast spectrum
irradiation facility able to work in both subcritical and critical mode. Despite
several nonobvious design challenges, such as the use of LBE, the increased level
of seismic loading (consequence of Fukushima), or the choice of passive mode for
decay heat removal in emergency conditions, we found no significant showstopper
in the design. The R&D program that is running in parallel has taken into account
international recommendations from experts concerning the remaining technological challenges as mentioned in Section VI (above).
MYRRHA is now foreseen to be in full operation by 2025, and it will be able to
be operated in both operation modes, subcritical and critical. In subcritical mode, it
will demonstrate the ADS technology and the efficient demonstration of MA in
subcritical mode. As a fast spectrum irradiation facility, it will address fuel research
for innovative reactor systems, material research for GEN IV systems and for fusion
reactors, radioisotope production for medical and industrial applications, and
industrial applications, such as Si-doping.
The MYRRHA design has now entered into the Front End Engineering Phase,
covering the period 2012–2015. The engineering company that handles this phase
has currently started the work. At the end of this phase, the purpose is to have
• Progressed in such a way in the design of the facility that the specifications for
the different procurement packages of the facility can be written,
• Adequately addressed the remaining outstanding R&D issues,
• obtained the construction and exploitation permits, and
• Formed the international members’ consortium for MYRRHA.
Belgium and SCK•CEN have opened participation in the MYRRHA to EU member
states and to the European Commission but also to worldwide participation, as the
70
H.A. Abderrahim