Research institutes from Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia are set to work together on a next-generation nuclear reactor project.
The Visegrad 4 regional cooperation framework, consisting of the four countries, kicked off work on the Allegro reactor today.
The new plant, which is not expected to enter commercial operation before 2040, is set to use a helium-cooled fast reactor which would convert fertile uranium.
Initial work on the project was taken up by France, who then shifted their focus to the Astrid project – a sodium-cooled Gen IV fast reactor.
“We have created V4G4 initiative to develop our competencies, and as it turns out, all four countries complement each other,” said Prof Grzegorz Wrochna, director of the Polish National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ).
“Hungary wants to specialise in design and testing of the nuclear fuel; Czech Republic wants to focus on cooling systems; Slovakia would take on the technical side of the project planning and safety systems, whilst we want to specialise in resource research.”
The current focus of the European Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform, who coordinate the Allegro project, is the development of the current Gen II and Gen III reactors.
But Belgium has already begun preparations for building a prototype of a lead-cooled Gen IV fast reactor, Mirra.
Recommended for you
