The Paris conference is the first event in four years of such a major scale in the world, dedicated to fast breeder reactors. More than 500 delegates from 20 countries and seven international organizations show very well, that today fast breeder reactors are no more something exotic, but quite practical for both old and new residents of the nuclear society.
It was quite clear to all the participants that today Russia is a leader in the field of “fast” technologies. Rosatom does have things to offer to the market. Starting from the first and for now the only operating commercial fast breeder reactor BN-600 and taking into consideration that BN-800 is now on its way. Let us not forget BN-1200 and BREST-300. The SVBR-100 lead-bismuth project is being implemented within the bounds of private-public partnership, with its experience gained with the help of atomic submarines.
The Russian side at the conference was represented by Valery Rachkov from the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering in Obninsk. He noted that a wide-scale development of atomic power engineering would hardly be possible without fast-breeder reactors and related fuel cycle. The research shows that the BREST-300 reactor has a strong potential from the point of view of natural safety, with its rival being BN-1200, says Rachkov. The final choice will be made by 2020.
