Sodium Fast Reactors - Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection White Paper - 2021

This white paper represents the status of Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection (PR&PP) characteristics for the Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) reference designs selected by the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) SFR System Steering Committee (SSC). The intent is to generate preliminary information about the PR&PP features of the SFR reactor technology and to provide insights for optimizing their PR&PP performance for the benefit of SFR system designers. It updates the SFR analysis published in the 2011 report “Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection of the Six Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems”, prepared Jointly by the Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Working Group (PRPPWG) and the System Steering Committees and provisional System Steering Committees of the Generation IV International Forum, taking into account the evolution of both the systems, the GIF R&D activities, and an increased understanding of the PR&PP features.
The white paper, prepared jointly by the GIF PRPPWG and the GIF SFR SSC, follows the high-level paradigm of the GIF PR&PP Evaluation Methodology to investigate the PR&PP features of the GIF SFR reference designs. For PR, the document analyses and discusses the proliferation resistance aspects in terms of robustness against State-based threats associated with diversion of materials, misuse of facilities, breakout scenarios, and production in clandestine facilities. Similarly, for PP, the document discusses the robustness against theft of material and sabotage by non-State actors. The document follows a common template adopted by all the white papers in the updated series.