A state-of-the-art review of R&D for the super critical water-cooled reactor technology. Part I economics, thermalhydraulics, safety and licensing

This study presents a summary of the most relevant research and development (R&D) carried out to support the development of the only Generation IV water-cooled reactor endorsed by the Generation IV International Forum (GIF). The coolant of the proposed reactor is operated at supercritical water conditions, allowing for an increase in thermodynamic efficiency of the plant and the production of higher-grade process heat. Several collaborations have been established to support the development of this technology under the GIF umbrella, as well as through other international avenues. Therefore, the development is bolstered by a collective effort between numerous R&D institutions across Asia, Europe, and North America. Globally, the R&D programs have been methodologically executed in phases, namely: fundamental R&D, validation and verification of assumptions used in R&D analyses, and pre-conceptualization of supercritical water-cooled reactors (SCWRs). This article summarizes the recent R&D work performed to support the development of the SCWR technology on thermalhydraulics and safety, economics and licensing. Furthermore, R&D highlights, identified knowledge gaps, conclusions, and recommendations are presented.