High Temperature Nuclear Reactor SWOT Analysis

This analysis focuses on identifying the intrinsic strengths and weaknesses of the (Very) High Temperature Reactor – HTR – at the latest state of the technology. The potential opportunities offered by the future HTR market and the factors and threats that limit its deployment are also analysed. The HTR has been under study in the nuclear sector since the 1960’s mainly in the USA and the EU (Germany) and more recently in South Africa and China; in fact, demonstration reactors up to 300 MWe have been built and have operated for several years. However, when they were built, the market reality did not really match up well with the strengths and potential of the HTR, and other reactor technologies won the favour of the nuclear energy market and took advantage of the opportunities offered by it. There are several reasons why the HTR, despite showing high potential for electricity production and co-generation (non electric applications), has been unable to share the market with other reactor technologies although some of them may no longer be valid. These and other reasons should be analysed, taking into consideration the current market situation and envisaging future energy market demands and trends from a realistic perspective.. This paper focuses on an HTR SWOT analysis based on the available public information summarized in the SWOT matrix and workout considerations.

CUADRADO GARCIA Patricia;  ALONSO ZABALO Felix;  ROELOFS Ferry;  KNOL Steven;  FUETTERER Michael; 

2017-01-11

Sociedad Nuclear Espanola

JRC104115

http://www.reunionanualsne.es/,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC104115,