2025-08-23|Steps Towards Europe's First Lead Fast Reactor

Dr. Elina Charatsidou

I subscribe to your YouTube channel.
In episode "Nuclear Physicist Explains and Compares All Gen IV Reactor Types", you clearly defined Generation 4 Reactors.
- Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs)
- Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs)
- Lead-Cooled Fast Reactors (LFRs)
- High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGRs)
- Super Critical Water-Cooled Reactors (SCWRs)
- Gas-Cooled Fast Reactors (GFRs)

In episode "Steps Towards Europe's First Lead Fast Reactor" which is being built in Sweden, I did not notice your mentioning "breeding". So, I posted the following comment, but nobody responded.

This reactor uses fast neutrons, but does not seem to do breeding, i.e., conversion from U-238 to U-235, which reduces fuel requirement and nuclear waste. Any idea why this non-breeder approach was chosen?? Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR) have not gone well in France, but such reactors have worked well in Russia, i.e., sodium-cooled BN-600 (since 1980 and further into 2040) and sodium-cooled BN-800 (2016). Also, India is actually building a sodium-cooled FBR as well.

I did some research myself, and found the answer to my own question.
- Lead Fast Reactors (LFR) | GIF Portal
  - Breeding ratio: about 1 (but design with BR>1 or BR<1 are proposed)
So, I trust that Blykalla (LeadCold)'s SEALER (Swedish Advanced Lead Reactor) will be able to breed fuel from U-238 to U-235. Some questions remain.
Q. Can it do in-situ fuel breeding without reprocessing?
- Small modular reactor - Wikipedia
  - The traveling wave reactor proposed by TerraPower is designed to "burn" the fuel it breeds in situ, without requiring its removal from the reactor core or further reprocessing.
Q. Can beta particles (electrons) from the reactor be used for partial power generation?
Q. Can fast neutrons generate recoil particles to cause ionization for partial power generation?

Thank you very much for your attention.

Ms. Thérèse Burman

My background is Engineering Physics with some exposure to nuclear physics and nuclear engineering. I am interested in the ultimate Small Modular Reactors (SMR) for the future of human civilisation. I have a question.
- FAQ: Which fuel will the SEALER reactor use?
  - The choice of this fuel permits to achieve a breeding ratio larger than one in a very compact configuration
Q. Can SEALER-55 do in-situ fuel breeding, i.e., without reprocessing? TerraPower's traveling wave reactor claims to do so, as shown below.
- Small modular reactor - Wikipedia
  - The traveling wave reactor proposed by TerraPower is designed to "burn" the fuel it breeds in situ, without requiring its removal from the reactor core or further reprocessing.
Q. In IAEA publication lists detailed technical specification with Design Philosophy. However, there is no mention of fuel breeding. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should amend their publication to add this important distinguishing feature since it's not Blykalla's trade secret?
- SMALL MODULAR REACTOR TECHNOLOGY CATALOGUE: 2024 Edition
  - LIQUID METAL COOLED FAST NEUTRON SPECTRUM SMALL MODULAR REACTORS
    - SEALER-55 (Blykalla, Sweden) [PAGE 227]
It would be great if there were anything I can contribute to the eventual success of Blykalla's SEALER reactor. It would be wonderful to provide power to Svalbard (Norway), Alert (Canada), etc.
Thank you very much for your attention.

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2025-09-11T03:38:41.000Z