International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles: Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22)

The conference will be held as an in-person event, with the possibility of remote connection.

Persons who would like to attend the conference virtually can register as an observer here. 

Introduction

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) once again brings together the fast reactor and related fuel cycle community by organizing the International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles: Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (FR22). This conference is a follow-up of the previous successful IAEA Conferences FR09 (Kyoto, 2009), FR13 (Paris, 2013), and FR17 (Yekaterinburg, 2017). The last Conference, FR17, was attended by almost 600 participants from 27 countries and six international organizations, delivering 240 oral and 200 poster presentations on different fields of fast reactor and related fuel cycle technologies.

The importance of fast reactors and related fuel cycles in ensuring the long-term sustainability of nuclear power has been largely recognized for a long time by the nuclear community. Fast reactors are nuclear reactors that offer several key advantages over traditional thermal reactors in terms of sustainability. When operated in a fully closed fuel cycle, fast reactors have the potential to extract 60-70 times more energy from uranium than existing thermal reactors and contribute to a significant reduction in the burden of high-level wastes.

At present, many countries are actively developing reactor, coolant, fuel and fuel cycle technologies. Fast reactor technologies include sodium, lead, lead-bismuth eutectic, gas, molten salt and supercritical water-cooled systems, as well as hybrids, such as accelerator driven systems. Several demonstration projects, ranging from small to large scale, are under study, design and construction. There are international and national efforts dedicated to developing and demonstrating suitable fuels and fuel cycles for the different fast reactor technologies.

For energy systems based on fast reactors to become viable for industrial deployment in the coming decades, designers will have to further increase the level of safety and economic competitiveness.

At FR22, a “Young Generation Event” will be organised to engage young generation in innovative fast neutron systems development. It will be a great opportunity for young academicians and professionals to participate and present their ideas and to have a forum of discussion for potential synergisms and collaborations.

Objective

The purpose of the event is to provide a forum to exchange information on national and international programmes, and more generally new developments and experiences, in the field of fast reactors and related fuel and fuel cycle technologies. The first objective is to identify and discuss strategic and technical options, including potential capabilities in mitigation of climate change while reducing the amount of highly radioactive nuclear waste. The second objective is to promote the development of fast reactors and related fuel cycle technologies in a safe, proliferation-resistant and cost-effective manner. The third objective is to identify gaps and key issues that need to be addressed in relation to the industrial deployment of these nuclear power technologies. The fourth objective is to engage young scientists and engineers in this field, in particular with regard to the development of innovative fast reactor concepts.

Topics

The IAEA welcomes high quality contributions that fall under the umbrella of the nine topics listed below:

Track 1. Innovative fast reactor designs

• Basic reactor and core designs
• SFR design features
• LFR design features
• ADS design features
• Fast neutron microreactors
• Other fast reactor designs
• System and component design and qualification

Track 2. Fast reactor safety

• Safety by design approaches, passive safety systems
• Harmonization of safety requirements
• Core disruptive accidents
• Probabilistic safety assessment
• Special Session on IAEA CRP “Modelling and Simulation of Source Term for SFR under Hypothetical Severe Accident”
• Special Session on IAEA CRP “Benchmark Analysis of FFTF Loss of Flow Without Scram Test”

Track 3. Fuels, fuel cycles and waste management

• Development of innovative fuels: Design, manufacturing, thermo-physical properties, irradiation experiments and post irradiation examinations of advanced fuels
• Fuel performance
• Closing the fuel cycle (actinides multirecycling, P&T, etc.)
  • Reprocessing and partitioning
  • Waste minimization and approaches to manage generated waste
• Safety of processes and facilities

Track 4. Fast reactor materials (coolants, structures) and components

• Advances in coolant technology
• Innovative structural materials
• Component technology

Track 5. Test facilities and experiments

• Experimental facilities under design, construction or operation
• Experimental tests and results
• Remaining gaps and needs

Track 6. Modelling, simulations and digitalization

• Neutronics simulations
• Advances in fast reactor thermal hydraulics
• Coupled and multiphysics simulations
• Verification and validation
• Uncertainty and sensitivity analysis
• Digitalization of reactor models
• Special Session on IAEA CRP “Neutronics Benchmark of CEFR Start-Up Tests”

Track 7. Sustainability: Economics, environment and proliferation

• Sustainability of innovative fast neutron systems
• Public support
• Integration with other energy sources (hybrid energy systems)
• Non-proliferation issues and safeguard-by-design concepts

Track 8. ​Commissioning, Operation and Decommissioning

• Commissioning and operation of SFRs
• In-service inspection and repair, instrumentation
• Decommissioning (including management of waste arising from decommissioning)

Track 9. Education, professional development and knowledge management

• Education and training: national and international programmes
• Knowledge preservation and transfer
• Projects on international collaboration, mobility and capacity building
• Basic principles simulators for educational purposes

Contributed Papers and Posters

Papers on issues falling within the topics outlined in Section C above may be submitted as contributions to the conference. All papers, apart from invited papers, must present original work and should not have been published elsewhere.

Key Deadlines

• Submission of abstracts (closed)
• Notification of acceptance of synopses (closed)
• 20 January 2022 (extended deadline): Submission of full paper (first draft)
• 28 January 2022: Submission of Grant Application Form (Form C) 
• 10 February 2022 (extended deadline): Notification of review of full paper
• No deadline: Registration only (no paper submission, no grant request) using Form A through the InTouch+ Platform

Participation and Registration

All persons wishing to participate in the event must be designated by an IAEA Member State or should be member of an organization that has been invited to attend. The list of IAEA Member States and invited organizations is available on the event web page.

Registration through InTouch+:

1. Access the InTouch+ web page:

• Participants with an existing NUCLEUS account can sign in here with their username and password;
• Participants without an existing NUCLEUS account can register here.

2. Once signed in, participants can use the InTouch+ platform to:

• Complete or update their personal details under ‘Basic Profile’ (if no financial support is requested) or under ‘Complete Profile’ (if financial support is requested) and upload the relevant supporting documents;
• Search for the relevant event (EVT2001728) under the 'My Eligible Events' tab;
• Select the Member State or invited organization they want to represent from the drop-down menu entitled ‘Designating authority’ (if an invited organization is not listed, please contact Conference Contact Point);
• If applicable, indicate whether a paper is being submitted and complete the relevant information;
• If applicable, indicate whether financial support is requested and complete the relevant information; (this is not applicable to participants from invited organizations);
• Submit their application.

Once submitted through InTouch+, the application will be transmitted automatically to the required authority (e.g. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Mission to the IAEA or National Atomic Energy Authority). If approved the application will automatically be sent to the IAEA.

NOTE: Should participants wish to submit a paper or request financial support, the application needs to be submitted by the specified deadlines (see section K).

For additional information on how to apply for an event, please refer to the InTouch+ Help page. Any other issues or queries related to InTouch+ can be sent to InTouchPlus.Contact Point.

If it is not possible to submit your application through the InTouch+ platform, participants are requested to contact the IAEA’s Conference Services Section via e-mail: Conference Contact Point.

Expenditures and Grants

No registration fee is charged to participants.

The IAEA is generally not in a position to bear the travel and other costs of participants in the conference. The IAEA has, however, limited funds at its disposal to help cover the cost of attendance of certain participants. Such assistance may be offered upon specific request to normally one participant per country provided that, in the IAEA’s view, the participant on whose behalf assistance is requested will make an important contribution to the conference.

If governments wish to apply for a grant on behalf of one of their specialists, they should address specific requests to the IAEA to this effect. Governments should ensure that applications for grants are:

1.  Submitted by 31 August 2021;

2.  Accompanied by a duly completed Grant Application Form (Form C) signed and stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the National Atomic Energy Authority; and

3.  Accompanied by a completed Participation Form (Form A).

Applications that do not comply with the above conditions cannot be considered.

Approved grants will be issued in the form of a lump sum payment that usually covers only part of the cost of attendance.

Venue and Accommodation

The conference will be held at the Vienna International Centre (VIC), where the IAEA’s Headquarters are located. Participants are advised to arrive at Checkpoint 1/Gate 1 of the VIC two hours before the start of the conference on the first day in order to allow for timely registration. Participants will need to present an official photo identification document in order to be admitted to the VIC premises.

Participants must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements.

Please note that the IAEA is not in a position to assist participants with hotel bookings, nor can the IAEA assume responsibility for paying cancellation fees or for re-bookings and no-shows.

Visas

Participants who require a visa to enter Austria should submit the necessary application to the nearest diplomatic or consular representative of Austria as early as 3 months but not later than four weeks before their travel. Since Austria is a Schengen State, persons requiring a visa will have to apply for a Schengen visa. In States where Austria has no diplomatic mission, visas can be obtained from the consular authority of a Schengen Partner State representing Austria in the country in question.

Conference app

The IAEA Conferences and Meetings App provides a one-stop access to information on the Conference, exhibitions and scheduled side events. The app also allows users to put together their own personalized schedule of events. Via this app participants will be able to view contributed papers and the latest conference programme, message other participants, and view PowerPoint presentations released after the event. Participants will receive an email inviting them to register for the app approximately one week before the conference.

For iPhone or iPad users, get your free download through the Apple iTunes Store; those with Android devices can visit the Google Play Store.