Australia Formally Joins Generation IV International Forum

19 Sep (NucNet): Australia has formally acceded to the framework agreement of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), an international group set up to develop and design the next generation of nuclear energy systems. Accession allows Australia, which has no commercial nuclear power programme, to take part in R&D projects related to Generation IV systems, particularly projects on advanced materials, GIF said in a statement on its website. Australia became the 14th member of GIF in June 2016 when the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Ansto) signed the GIF charter. It deposited its instrument of accession to the framework agreement on 14 September 2017 and was officially welcomed to the organisation at a ceremony in Paris. GIF was created in January 2000 by nine countries. In 2002, GIF selected six systems from nearly 100 concepts as Generation IV technologies. The six systems are sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR); gas-cooled fast reactors (GFR); very high temperature reactors with thermal neutron spectrum (VHTR); lead-cooled fast reactors or lead-bismuth eutectic cooled fast reactors (LFR); molten salt reactors (MSR) with fast or thermal neutron spectrum; and supercritical water reactors (SCWR) with fast or thermal neutron spectrum.