Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program in France

LMFBR program in FRANCE can be characterised by a great steadiness in the basic technical options, the acquired operating and design experience bringing confirmation of the future plants design. On the eve of a new industrial period aiming at a commercial production, is it or not necessary to deeply modify some of the conceptual choices with the hope of reducing investment costs ? Studies developped so far in other directions than the CREYS MALVILLE ones have revealed either large difficulties or the necessity to launch a specific and hazardous development task. Conceptual continuity from PHENIX to SUPERPHENIX will therefore be maintained for the next step, the design of which has already started.