Lead-Cooled Fast Neutron Breeder Reactor
Advanced Gen-IV LFR Reactor
The lead-cooled fast reactor is a nuclear reactor design that uses molten lead or lead-bismuth eutectic coolant. These materials can be used as the primary coolant because they have low neutron absorption and relatively low melting points. Neutrons are slowed less by interaction with these heavy nuclei (thus not being neutron moderators) so these reactors operate with fast neutrons. The concept is generally similar to sodium-cooled fast reactors, and most liquid-metal fast reactors have used sodium instead of lead. Few lead-cooled reactors have been constructed.
Russia is at the forefront of fast reactor development. It operates the only commercial-scale fast reactors and is building a 300 MWe demonstration lead-cooled fast reactor. It also put lead-cooled fast reactors into its seven Alfa-class submarines, which was not a conspicuous success but yielded 70 reactor-years of experience.
Gen-IV ALFRED LFR Reactor (Advanced Lead-cooled Fast Reactor European Demonstrator) is a planned lead-cooled fast reactor. Designed by Ansaldo Energia from Italy, it represents the last stage of the ELSY and LEADER projects. ALFRED is a 300 MWth pool system aimed at proving the viability of the European LFR technology for use in a future commercial power plant. ALFRED is designed close as possible to the reference ELFR, but proven and already available solutions are adopted to be able to construct it in a short term. The successful demonstration of the LFR technology is reaffirmed by the effective operation of a First-Of-A-Kind of the industrial-scale ELFR. The achievement of this goal by 2040 requires the realization of the ALFRED demonstrator around 2025. The main drawback facing the industrial deployment of a LFR fleet in Europe is the lack of operational experience gathered so far. Whilst a satisfactory technological readiness has been achieved in Russia in the past century, driven by military research, the aim at filling the technology gap in Europe requires the setting up of a complete R&D roadmap, in complete analogy with what has been done in France for the development of the SFR technology chain, whose readiness is almost proven.
Gen-IV BREST-300-OD LFR Reactor The BREST Reactor is a Russian design for a lead-cooled fast reactor based on a generation IV reactor. There are two designs, the BREST-300 (300 MWe) and the BREST-1200 (1200 MWe). The main characteristics of the BREST reactor are passive safety and a closed fuel cycle. Powered by the lead-cooled BREST-OD-300 fast reactor, based on the principles of "natural safety", is the key element of the Pilot demonstration energy complex, which is under construction on the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk, an enterprise of TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom. The PDEC facilities are developed under Rosatom's strategic "Proryv" project ("the Breakthrough"). In addition to the power unit, it also includes facilities of the on-site closed nuclear fuel cycle, a unit for the fabrication of uranium-plutonium nitride fuel, as well as a unit for reprocessing of irradiated fuel. The construction of the BREST-300-OD in Seversk (near Tomsk) was approved in August 2016. The preparatory construction work commenced in May 2020. Construction started in 8 June 2021. The target for starting operation is 2026.