The European ARCHER Project Proposal - HTR Research towards Demonstration

This paper describes the new European project proposal ARCHER (Advanced High-Temperature Reactors for Cogeneration of Heat and Electricity R&D) as well as its European and international context. It is proposed to start in 2011 for a period of 4 years to perform High Temperature Reactor technology R&D in support of demonstration. In line with the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNETP) Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) and Deployment Strategy (DS), the proposal intends to maintain, strengthen and expand the HTR knowledge base in Europe to lay the foundations for demonstration of nuclear cogeneration with HTR systems. The project consortium encompasses conventional and nuclear industry, utilities, Technical Support Organizations, R&D organizations and academia. The activities proposed will contribute to the Generation IV International Forum and will collaborate directly with related projects in the US, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea in cooperation with IAEA and ISTC. The proposal investigates nuclear cogeneration as an alternative to fossil fuel in industry as a significant potential contribution to reaching the ambitious European strategic energy targets, as formulated in the SET Plan in view of climate change mitigation and security of energy supply. ARCHER will report to SNETP and supports the establishment of a ¿Nuclear Cogeneration Industrial Initiative¿, with the aim of achieving effective (international) nuclear cogeneration demonstration before larger scale industrial deployment.JRC.DDG.F.4-Safety of future nuclear reactor