TECHNOLOGY

Generation III

The most advanced reactors, being manufactured

After serious nuclear power plants breakdowns in years 80's XX century and significant slowdown in nuclear development today nuclear industry is taking a "deep breath". Gen I reactors are no longer operating outside the UK. Gen II reactors, constructed between years 70's and 90's, and operating today, has brought many experience and knowledge. They has caused, nuclear technology is said to be mature and competitive nowadays. Additionally they have very low carbon dioxide emission. Unfortunately they are getting old with all others fossil fuels power plants. Additional capacity of 400 GWe in new generation assets over next 25 years is reasonable estimation. It can be assumed that capacity of 100 GWe will be cover with new gen III and gen III+ reactors.[33],[34] Those reactors have derived from gen II and fill new orders put on nuclear power plants nowadays in better way. Researches in gen III in years 80's was caused by changes in world economy, especially in energy sector. Privatization processes, deregulations at energy markets caused suspense among energy companies. This intensified competition at the market. Excess in energy production occurred. Additionally, decrease in electricity demand growth rate was marked. Fossil fuels prizes were low and governments limited financial support for commercial's nuclear power plants. Energy companies started to prefer options with short time capital expenditures, short time constructions, low risk, so options which ensure certain profit in short time.[12] These are not characteristics for those days gen II reactors. Moreover safety requirements for nuclear reactors, after Chernobyl and Three Miles Island (see. 2.3.1) were strongly uplifted. Those requirements were created separately in EU, as EUR (European Utility Requirements), in U.S., as URD (Utility Requirement Document), in Japan, as JURD (Japan Utility Requirement Document) and in Korea as KURD. Additionally special departments in the U.S. and in the EU were established to take care about reactors certification process. [35]

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