Project description
An intercontinental collaboration paves the way for next-generation nuclear energy
Nuclear energy has an important role to play in the effort to reduce dependence on the combustion of fossil fuels for electricity. Nuclear reactor designs are categorised according to 'generation', with Generation IV being currently under development and deployment. An international task force is collaborating to develop six nuclear reactor technologies for deployment between 2020 and 2030, among them the supercritical water-cooled reactor. One of the main challenges is the demonstration of its passive safety systems. The EU-funded ECC-SMART project is addressing this challenge by assessing the feasibility of a small modular reactor cooled by supercritical water and identifying its passive safety features. The project encompasses the design and pre-licensing requirements as well as a roadmap for demonstration of safety.
Objective
The ECC-SMART is oriented towards assessing the feasibility and identification of safety features of an intrinsically and passively safe small modular reactor cooled by supercritical water (SCW-SMR), taking into account specific knowledge gaps related to the future licensing process and implementation of this technology. The main objectives of the project are to define the design requirements for the future SCW-SMR technology, to develop the pre-licensing study and guidelines for the demonstration of the safety in the further development stages of the SCW-SMR concept including the methodologies and tools to be used and to identify the key obstacles for the future SMR licencing and propose a strategy for this process. To reach these objectives, specific technical knowledge gaps were defined and will be assessed to achieve the future smooth licensing and implementation of the SCW-SMR technology (especially the behaviour of materials in the SCW environment and irradiation, validation of the codes and design of the reactor core will be developed, evaluated by simulations and experimentally validated). The ECC-SMART project consortium consists of EU, Canadian and Chinese partners to use the trans-continental synergy and knowledge developed separately by each partner. The project consortium and project scope were created according to the joint research activities under the International Atomic Energy Agency, Generation-IV International Forum umbrella and as much data as possible will be taken from the already performed projects. This project brings together the best scientific teams working in the field of SCWR using the best facilities and methods worldwide, to fulfil the common vision of building an SCW-SMR in the near future.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- H2020-Euratom - Euratom Main Programme
- H2020-Euratom-1. - Indirect actions
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
250 68 Husinec-Rez
Czechia
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Participants (19)
1049 Bruxelles / Brussel
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28040 MADRID
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1000 Ljubljana
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56126 Pisa
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S10 2TN Sheffield
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81243 Bratislava
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1000 Bruxelles / Brussel
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1111 Budapest
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NG7 2RD Nottingham
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115400 Mioveni
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01013 KYIV
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
02150 Espoo
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K0J1J0 Chalk River
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200030 SHANGHAI
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76131 Karlsruhe
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100 44 Stockholm
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166 28 Praha
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100083 BEIJING
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610041 CHENGDU SICHUAN
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