The development of HTGR-TRISO coated fuels in the globe: challenging of Indonesia to be an HTGR fuel producer

Abstract

A first high quality coating TRISO high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel has been developed since almost six decades ago. After Germany had invented the highly qualified HTR fuel in 2008, China contributed on the fabrication process of tri-structural isotropic (TRISO) UO2 coated fuel particle. Meanwhile, the University of South Carolina (USA) had also developed the design as well as fabrication of an advanced TRISO fuel with ZrC coating, the INET-China conveyed research on the over-coating process in the manufacture of spherical fuel elements for HTGR and invented the friendly-operated equipment to manufacture HTGR fuel mass in 2014. Since HTGR becomes a trend of nuclear technology in the globe, Indonesia is currently conniving a 10 MW experimental power reactor (RDE) which is HTGR type and the program of the RDE was firstly introduced to the Agency for National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) at the beginning of 2014 and the RDE is expected to be operable in 2022/2023. The RDE program is projected to have positive impacts on community prosperity, self-reliance and sovereignty of Indonesia. Since the country has a lot of small islands especially in the eastern part of the country, the small medium HTGR reactors with the power of 5 MWe to 50 MWe will be very suitable to be built in those areas. Among other GEN IV reactor types, HTGR is one of Gen-IV nuclear reactors to be mostly available by 2050 even till 2100. There are few advanced countries to deal with HTGR reactors, so that Indonesia has a very good opportunity to become one of the HTGR reactor producers and even further an HTGR fuel producer in the globe or in ASEAN countries. This paper pronounces the current status of R&Ds on HTGR fuels in the globe as well as that of nuclear technology perspectives till 2100 and policy implications for the global nuclear power industry. Moreover, the paper also showed some countries emerging their new NPPs by 2050. The country through BATAN has showed the long-term plan to treat all low-level radioactive waste resulted both from industries and from the future NPPs. The national capabilities supported by the strategic state-owned enterprises to support nuclear-energy-based industry are also explained. The participation of local industries to reinforce the nuclear-energy-based industry in the country proved more than 40%. Indeed, to become the HTGR fuel producer by 2030 seems much clearer for Indonesia taking into account the strong, legal sustenance from the government.