Very High Temperature Reactors GIF System Steering Committee
The Very High Temperature Reactor System Steering Committee (VHTR SSC) was established after the VHTR System Arrangement was signed in 2006. Presently, nine members of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) participate in the VHTR SSC's activities. This committee oversees four projects that cover a broad range of topics related to Very High Temperature Reactors. The VHTR, along with Sodium Fast Reactors, is one of the Generation IV systems that has commercial-scale power reactors in operation today and has also had several in operation previously.
Activities and Membership of the Very High Temperature Reactors GIF System Steering Committee
GIF VHTR SSC gathers ten GIF Members. It oversees four R&D cooperation projects.
VHTR Projects
| Project Arrangement | Project Description | Effective Date | SIGNATORIES
(GIF Member) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel and Fuel Cycle (FFC) | The Fuel and Fuel Cycle project focuses on developing solutions for VHTR fuel, specifically TRISO-coated particles. The project explores potential fuel development such as uranium oxycarbide kernels or ZrC coatings to improve burnup capability, reduce fission product release, and increase resistance to core heat-up accidents. | 2008 | JRC (EU) |
| Computational Methods, Validation & Benchmarks (CMVB) | Validation of new computational methods and codes in the areas of HTR thermal-hydraulics, thermal mechanics, core physics and chemical transport are needed for the design and licensing assessment of reactor performance in accident conditions. | 2013 | INET (CN) |
| Hydrogen Production (HP) | Recent Project focus has been on the hybrid copper-chlorine thermo-chemical and the hybrid sulfur cycles. R&D efforts in this PMB address material development, feasibility, optimization, efficiency and economic evaluation for industrial-scale hydrogen production. Performance and optimization of hydrogen production processes are being assessed through integrated test loops, from laboratory | 2008 | NRCan (CA) |
| Material (MAT) | VHTR-MAT PMB mainly focuses on advanced materials development, additional materials’ testing standard and code development, and develops and maintains the “GenIV materials handbook”. The Gen IV Materials Handbook, initially developed for the US Gen IV Nuclear Energy Systems Program, became the shared international database it is today starting from April 2007. The handbook evolved into a sophisticated materials information management system with secured access control, data processing tools, and a flexible framework for enhancement, aiming to satisfy the research needs of international Gen IV nuclear reactor programs. | 2009 | NRCan (CA) - joined in 2024 |
If you want to learn more about the Very High Temperature Reactor technology head to the VHTR System description page. If you want to learn more about the latest outcomes and international efforts carried out under the GIF VHTR SSC please refer to the most recent GIF Annual Report.
VHTR SSC Leadership & Technical Secretariat
Dr
Gerhard STRYDOM
Mr
Ali SIDDIQUI
Dr
Franco MICHEL-SENDIS
Dr. Franco Michel-Sendis is a Nuclear Technology and Fuel Cycle Specialist at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), where he has served since 2010. Throughout his career, he has led and coordinated international initiatives in uranium resources, nuclear fuel cycles, nuclear data, and nuclear criticality safety, while also serving as the scientific secretariat to several system steering committees for the Generation IV International Forum. A dual national of France and Mexico, Franco has dedicated his academic and professional life to nuclear science. He holds a PhD in Nuclear Reactor Physics from the University of Paris-Saclay, where his research focused on advanced nuclear fuel cycles, along with advanced degrees from École Polytechnique and the Sorbonne. Franco is deeply interested in, and committed to, bridging the gap between science and policy, particularly in the field of innovative nuclear technologies.