The mid and long term strategy of the Hungarian nuclear safety research The Visegrad collaboration Ákos Horváth MTA Centre for Energy Research E2C Conference, Budapest, 2013

Content -Nuclear energy status and perspective -The national nuclear research and development program -Hungarian Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform -Long term vision on spent fuel management, fuel cycle -The V4G4 Centre for Excellence and the ALLEGRO project

Nuclear energy in Hungary Hungary operates a 4x500 MWe VVER NPP at Paks. Lifetime of the units will be extended until The plant provides about 35-40% of electric energy of the country. It is decided to build two MWe units at the same site by The country has a National Energy Strategy since 2011, involving nuclear. Two research reactors are in operation (10 MWth and 0.5 MWth). The nuclear regulation is largely harmonised with the international requirements. It covers also research reactors. LILW (Long lived low and intermediate level waste) repository is constructed. NPP spent fuel is stored in a dry storage facility. Final solution concerning spent fuel and HLW (high level waste) is not decided.

National nuclear research history and status The history started in ’50s 1959 KFKI Research reactor 1971 BME Training reactor PAKS, Generation II. units , 4 units has commissioned Safety of Paks is acceptable by European standards too, because: Conservative design of VVER-440/V213 units Quality requirements during the construction of the units The man-machine interfaces were replaced in due time by modern tools The operation of modern safety authority The timely review of the safety of the units by adequate tools widely accepted The safety improvement program executed on all the units. Summary: a large national program launched in the early ‘90s on safety, also forming the basis of knowledge transfer, and further improvements (power uprate, licence extension)

Nuclear R&D has a long tradition in Hungary In the ’90s, the national research and design institutes were more and more supported the operation of Paks NPP From 2007, the preparation of the new units started: Teller project. The necessary studies were prepared. – Feasibility report of the new units. – Preliminary environmental impact analysis – Handling of nuclear waste. In 2009, the government decided to strengthen the national R&D. First stage was the creation of the Vision report. The national nuclear research

The national nuclear R&D programme Paks units 1-4– maintaining compentence for the extended lifetime. Paks units 5-6– safety depends on the knowledge of the new technology. Modernizing the fuel cycle (reduced radioactive waste, supply of nuclear fuel in the long term) – national, regional and worldwide problem, the main tool will be the use of new generation fast reactors

A nationwide nuclear R&D programme is developed in 2010/2011. Creation of the Sustainable Atomic Energy Technology Platform in 2010 – Hungarian Atomic Energy Agency, Hungarian Electric Company, Paks NPP, Radioactive waste management company – ETV-ERŐTERV Designer company, MVM ERBE Zrt., SOM System engineering company. – Hungarian Academy of Sciences, MTA EK, NUBIKI Company, Technical University Nuclear Technology Institute Main fields of interest: nuclear materials modelling and simulation closing the fuel cycle and GenIV reactors research infrastructure The strategic research agenda (SRA) has been created with the four main chapters above.

8 Long term vision Closing the fuel cycle: advanced reprocessing of spent fuel and fuel breeding  Besides Uranium (U) and Plutonium(Pu) minor actinides will be extracted also (Np, Am, Cm)  U, Pu, Cm, Am, Np containing fuel can be used in fast reactors  Radiotoxicity can be reduced in 300 years to background level. Opinion Paper on Regional Strategies Concerning Nuclear Fuel Cycle and HLRW in Central and Eastern European Countries, Opinion Paper on Regional Strategies Concerning Nuclear Fuel Cycle and HLRW in Central and Eastern European Countries, IAEA-CN-178/10-04 Ref.:

Sustainability: “European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative” – ESNII (SET-Plan) SFR Prototype ASTRID MWe LFR(lead) SFR (sodium) GFR (helium) Research infrastructures, qualification devices, irradiation devices ETPP European Technology Pilot Plant LFR Demonstrátor Reference technology Alternative technologies MA fuel pilot facility 2040: Gen-IV fast reactors implementation ALLEGRO GFR Demonstrator GFR technology test, innovative fuel and high temperature applications Costs: €6-10mrd MOX fuel facility XT-ADS MYRRHA Ref:

ALLEGRO: Gen IV. gas cooled fast reactor demonstrator The preparation project aiming at the construction of ALLEGRO has been launched in CEA proposed to consider the idea of constructing ALLEGRO in Central European region based on a joint action of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland. The four members create a „V4G4” Centre for Excellence for Gas Fast Reactor studies in 2013.

11 General objectives The ultimate objectives of ALLEGRO can be summarized by: 1)Demonstration of the GFR gen-4 concept, a goal that itself can be divided into three sub-objectives, priorities between a, b and c still to be defined: a)Qualification of the high-temperature, high-power-density, ceramic-clad, carbide fuel necessary for GFR b)Demonstration of the technological feasibility, helium cooling and high temperature core in particular, c)Demonstration of the breeding capacity, the ability of transmutation of actinides 2)Demonstration of heat production at industrial and economic conditions The demonstration of the GFR concept, in its entirety, will require several steps:  A first version of the ALLEGRO facility, an experimental research reactor with a fast neutron core, based on MOX fuel research experiments and qualification tests regarding new types of fuels, transmutation, high temperature materials, innovative solutions for gas circuits, etc.  A second version with a ceramic fuel when available The questions relating to the realization of a pilot unit for fuel fabrication, associated with ALLEGRO, and reprocessing of spent fuel, remain currently open.

V4G4 Centre of Excellence - 1 A Centre of Excellence created on 18th July, 2013 among the members for supporting the research activities. Aims of the V4G4 Centre of Excellence: to facilitate the co-operation and integration of nuclear research organisations of the V4 group (CZ, HU, PL, SK) to perform the R&D and technology/fuel qualification tasks needed for licensing the demonstrator to prepare the experimental program to be performed on ALLEGRO to strengthen its scientific credibility.

Creation of a regional CoE in Central Europe based on 4 institutes LE V4G4 Centre of Excellence Conception and safety studies VUJE, Slovakia Gas coolant technology UJV, Czech Rep. Fuel and recycling issues MTA-EK, Hungary High temperature industrial appl., materials, NCBJ, Poland Support from French Atomic Energy Commission Financed with EU cohesion funds

V4G4 Centre of Excellence - 2 Components of V4G4 Centre of Excellence: Design and Safety (led by VUJE, SK) Technology qualification (led by UJV, CZ) Fuel laboratory (led by MTA EK, HU) Materials testing laboratory (led by NCBJ, PL) These components will exist as separate laboratories in the respective leading research organisations. Experts of each project member may participate in the activities of any component. The activity of the components is helped by national ALLEGRO consortia.

V4G4 Centre of Excellence - 3 Organisation and financing of V4G4 Centre of Excellence: A non-profit legal entity will be established to make V4G4 Centre of Excellence eligible to be financed from Cohesion Funds The co-operating laboratories remain attached to the researchorganisations and not to this legal entity. Other EU structures (Joint Technology Initiative, European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation) do not seem to be applicable.

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