Interested contributors have until 30 September 2020 to submit abstracts for the International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles: Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR21), planned to be held in Beijing, China, from 10 to 13 May 2021.
The importance of fast reactors and related fuel cycles in ensuring the long-term sustainability of nuclear power has long been recognized by the nuclear community. Fast neutron reactors, which use neutrons that are not slowed down by a moderator such as water to sustain the fission chain reaction, offer key advantages over existing thermal nuclear reactors. When operated in a fully closed fuel cycle, in which nuclear fuel is recycled and reused, fast reactors have the potential to extract 60 to 70 times more energy from the same amount of uranium than thermal reactors and therefore contribute to a significant reduction in high-level radioactive waste.
"Fast reactors can be a bridge to a future of even safer and more efficient nuclear power, providing sustainable clean energy for generations," said Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy.
Experts in many countries are actively developing reactor, coolant, fuel and fuel cycle technologies. Fast reactor technologies include sodium, lead, lead-bismuth eutectic, gas, molten salt and supercritical water-cooled systems, as well as hybrids, such as accelerator driven systems. Several demonstration projects, ranging from small to large scale, are under study, design and construction. There are international and national efforts dedicated to developing and demonstrating suitable fuels and fuel cycles for the different fast reactor technologies. As of September 2020, Beloyarsk 3 and 4 in Russia, and the China Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR), outside of Beijing, are the three fast breeder reactors currently in operation.
The Conference will provide a forum to exchange information on national and international programmes, and more generally new developments and experiences, in the field of fast reactors and related fuel and fuel cycle technologies. In addition, a "Young Generation Event", to be held during the conference, will provide an opportunity for young professionals to explore possibilities for international collaboration in the development of fast neutron systems.
Topics covered will include:
- Innovative fast reactor designs
- Fast reactor safety
- Fuels, fuel cycles and waste management
- Fast reactor materials (coolants, structures) and components
- Test facilities and experiments
- Modelling, simulations and digitalization
- Sustainability: Economics, environment and proliferation
- Commissioning, Operation and Decommissioning
- Education, professional development and knowledge management
Those wishing to present a paper at the conference - either orally or in the form of a poster - need to submit an abstract in electronic format through the conference's web-based file submission system (IAEA-INDICO) by 30 September 2020. Paper copies cannot be accepted and the instructions on how to upload the abstract to IAEA-INDICO must be followed closely.
