Sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs) can provide a variety of services to the fuel cycle, but most designs, AMRs in particular, are optimized for a specific use, not for versatile adaptation. ESFR-SERENE will explore the feasibility of introducing from conception the possibility to change the behavior of a SFR-AMR core with minimal changes to the rest of the reactor through 6 objectives :

• Demonstrate the potential of SFR-AMRs for fuel cycle versatility, ensuring safety and system compatibility;
• Address regulatory evaluation challenges associated with versatile SFR-AMRs & challenge existing conservatisms regarding sodium chemistry, through new experiments on sodium fires;
• Improve SFR-AMRs safety and effectiveness of safety enhancement measures;
• Develop and integrate advanced instrumentation and monitoring solutions, AI backed when appropriate, for safe and reliable operation of SFR systems;
• Support the integration and demonstrate the viability of advanced fuel cycle options for SFR-AMRs, while addressing long-term sustainability challenges;
• Promote clustering and complementarities with relevant European initiatives, and engage decision-makers and key stakeholders through communication, training and knowledge-sharing activities

ESFR SERENE will contribute to the credible deployment of small and advanced reactors as part of Europe’s response to decarbonization, economic competitiveness and modularity needs by reducing conservatism and uncertainties on AMR safety, sodium chemistry and fuel cycle sustainability. On security of supply, the SFR’s matter management capability extends this argument to the whole fuel cycle: scenario analyses will quantify the impact of SFR deployment on enrichment, fabrication and reprocessing capacity needs by 2050, letting policy makers anticipate infrastructure investment ahead of need. On economic competitiveness, a common architecture accommodating multiple core variants lowers the qualification cost per additional market segment addressed and reduces the barrier to entry for component manufacturers and licensees, strengthening European industrial positioning against more advanced non-European AMR/SMR offers. Finally, the project technical innovation sustains specialised employment and expertise across the European nuclear supply chain and consolidates SFR-specific skills with training activities extending the benefit to early-career researchers, engineers and policy makers beyond the consortium.

• Open neutronic data and transient simulations on the different core variants (MOX breeder, MOX Pu-burner and HALEU);
• First experimental European campaign on sodium fires in the last 30 years, compiled in an open data set on sodium spray fires & validated CFD spray fire module;
• Validation of advanced instrumentation solutions – applicable to various reactor technologies – and integration into a common architecture;
• Corpus of fuel cycle simulation studies based on the most recent evaluations for the European fleet;
• Production of educational and training tools on SFRs (Open online course, simulator,…) strengthening a European community around SFR technology.

CEA / CIEMAT / EDF / EPFL / Framatome / HZDR / JRC / KIT / LGI / IPUL / POLIMI / PSI / STUBA / INTP-IMFT / Science Tokyo

Project coordinator:

Camille Laguerre (Camille.laguerre@cea.fr)