GIF carries out its mission through its Generation IV technology specific System Steering Committees and works on cross cutting and methodological matters through its Working Groups and Task Forces.
Get an overview of how Gen IV Nuclear Energy Systems are defined, what are the Generation IV criteria, which Nuclear Reactors Technologies were selected as capable of meeting those criteria and how this relates to the GIF Technology Roadmap (and its revisions).
Generation IV International Forum (GIF) was created as a co-operative international endeavour seeking to develop the research necessary to test the feasibility and performance of fourth generation nuclear systems, and to make them available for industrial deployment by 2030. Learn more about its governing agreements and structure here.
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The GFR system is a high-temperature helium-cooled fast-spectrum reactor with a closed fuel cycle. It combines the advantages of fast-spectrum systems for long-term sustainability of uranium resources and waste minimisation (through fuel multiple reprocessing and fission of long-lived actinides), with those of high-temperature systems (high thermal cycle efficiency and industrial use of the generated heat, for hydrogen production for example).
LFR (Lead-cooled Fast Reactor) systems are reactors cooled by liquid lead (Pb) or, in very few cases, by lead-bismuth (Pb-Bi) alloy and operating in the fast neutron spectrum at atmospheric pressure and high temperature. Many advantages of the LFR system are related to its choice of coolant: lead has a very high boiling point (up to 1743°C), favorable neutronic and radiation shielding properties as well as its benign interaction with water and air.
The Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) utilizes liquid sodium as a coolant and functions within the fast neutron spectrum, which facilitates a high power density and the advantage of low-pressure operation. Despite ongoing challenges in its development, SFRs draw on the collective experience of over 20 reactors globally, amounting to more than 400 reactor-years of operation. This extensive experience has progressively improved the safety and reliability of these reactors.
The Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR), one of six Gen IV nuclear system candidates, is designed for electricity and heat cogeneration, and its high outlet temperature is ideal for hydrogen production and use in the chemical, oil, and iron industries. Drawing on operational experience from past or operating gas-cooled reactors in five countries, the VHTR features TRi-structural ISOtropic (TRISO) fuel, helium coolant, and low power density that supports passive decay heat removal.
Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs) are a class of nuclear fission reactors where molten salts serve as the reactor fuel, coolant, and / or moderator. Research on MSRs began early in the development of nuclear energy. These reactors can operate at lower pressures (ambient) and higher temperatures compared to conventional water-cooled reactors.
SuperCritical Water-Cooled Reactors (SCWRs) are advanced nuclear reactors operating at temperatures and pressures above water's critical point (374°C, 22.1 MPa). SCWRs can feature thermal, fast, or mixed neutron spectra and are designed in two configurations: pressure vessel (similar to BWRs and PWRs) and pressure tubes (like CANDU reactors). Combining design insights from existing water-cooled reactors and supercritical fossil-fired plants, SCWRs achieve higher thermal efficiencies of 44-48%, significantly improving over the current 34-36%.
For over twenty years, the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) has supported global cooperative initiatives to develop advanced nuclear energy systems addressing future global energy requirements. The objectives set for Generation IV designs encompass enhanced fuel efficiency, minimized waste generation, economic competitiveness, and adherence to rigorous safety and proliferation resistance measures.
Initially, GIF conducted a comprehensive review of reactor technologies, eventually focusing on six promising technologies.
