Although today’s commercial light water reactor technology will be the cornerstone of the nuclear power industry in the upcoming decades, Generation IV technologies have the potential to significantly push the envelope on passive safety, resource utilization, and fuel cycle optimization. Perhaps the most mature of these next generation technologies is the sodium fast reactor, which can burn long-lived actinides and has demonstrated safety characteristics superior to that of light water reactors. Given the uncertainties currently facing the global nuclear industry, having multiple technological options is a tremendous advantage. Moreover, current projections for nuclear power fleets in certain countries call for initiating and conducting R&D on Generation IV technologies in a timely fashion.
