Eleven industrialised nations including the USA, France, the UK, Japan and Canada have signed the first multilateral treaty for developing a new generation of nuclear power plants. The Generation IV International Forum (GIF) will attempt to exploit the international research community's resources and expertise to develop Generation IV systems and allows participating countries to begin conducting joint research projects all over the world. Argentina, Brazil, the EU, South Africa, South Korea and Switzerland are also members of the Forum.
"This research agreement will accelerate an international effort to develop Generation IV nuclear energy systems technology that will be safer, more reliable, cost-effective and more proliferation-resistant than any technology available today," US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said.
The Forum has apparently identified six next-generation technologies for development including: the Gas Cooled Fast Reactor; the Sodium Fast Reactor; the Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor; the Molten Salt Reactor; the Supercritical Water Reactor; and the Very High Temperature Reactor.
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