Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Areva have confirmed the deployment of their alliance in the nuclear energy area, including a new reactor design.
The initial conceptual design phase of the new joint advanced reactor is moving forward according to schedule, and should be completed by early summer, a statement from Anne Lauvergeon, chief exutive of Areva, and Kazuo Tsukuda, president of MHI, noted.
Since the alliance was formed last October the two groups have agreed on the main features of the new reactor which will be an advanced generation 3, pressurised water, three loops reactor with a power of around 1100 MWe. The reactor has been designed to address specific markets where such a unit will better fit the grid or the demand pattern and will integrate the latest features such as the possibility of extended fuel cycles and the capacity to use MOX fuel for instance..
Commenting on the alliance Tsukuda said: “After a very focused conceptual design phase, we will enter into the basic design phase of the reactor this July, with an objective of having it ready for licensing in a record-short timing.”
