Nuclear options for industrialized and developing countries. Results of INOVACT project

Full text: The main objective of the project is to detect nuclear options which could present an industrial interest for the replacement of the EDF fleet at the two horizons of 2020 and by 2070. In order to provide the best possible answer, the project has to address other criteria than the usual technical-economical one and consider every possible option. In particular, the analysis has to integrate also all the aspects : environmental, political, sociological, and market oriented. A forecast study defined scenarios leading to the description of the energetic situation at horizons 2020 and by 2070. Each scenario must make it possible to describe the energy context (evolution of nuclear energy in the production of electricity in particular) and the impact of this context on nuclear system requirements, through the eight criteria characterizing the concepts. These criteria take into account the global energetic issue, especially the sustainable development. An assessment chart performed from these criteria, and each criterion has been split into sub criteria, allowing us to establish for each innovative concept the level of requirement fulfilment. The most suitable concepts with regard to the scenarios will be those which will fulfil the highest number of selected criterion by reaching the highest requirement level. From these selected concepts relevant to the scenarios, an EDF R and D program will be defined and implemented in order to improve the knowledge and to appreciate the degree of maturity of the concepts. (author)