The first generation of nuclear energy systems was advanced in the 1950s and ‘60s in the early prototype reactors. The second generation began in the 1970s in the large commercial power plants that are still operating today. Generation III was developed more recently in the 1990s with a number of evolutionary designs that offer significant advances in safety and economics. A number of these reactors have been built, primarily in East Asia. Advances to Generation III are under way, resulting in several (so-called Generation III+) near-term deployable plants that are actively under development and being considered for deployment in several countries. New plants built between now and 2030 will likely be chosen from these plants.

Beyond 2030, the prospect for innovative advances through renewed R&D has stimulated interest worldwide in a fourth generation of nuclear energy systems. Nuclear energy research programs around the world have been developing concepts that could form the basis for Generation IV systems.

Ten countries -- Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States -- have agreed on a framework for international cooperation in research for a future generation of nuclear energy systems. Terms of reference for cooperation in the Generation IV International Forum were signed by governmental entities of the participating countries in summer 2001 (GIF Charter).

The Generation IV International Forum operates with a policy group that acts as a decision-making body for high-level initiatives and issues, and an experts group that acts as oversight to the R&D collaborations. Both groups operate with representatives from each member country. The charter has provisions for a modest Secretariat initially hosted by the United States. There are no permanent facilities or staff, and the member countries contribute part-time staff to attend meetings and develop the documents that the GIF has produced.

The primary activities of the Forum are to:

• Identify potential areas of multilateral collaborations on Generation IV nuclear energy systems,
• Foster collaborative R&D projects,
• Establish guidelines for the collaborations and reporting of their results,
• Regularly review the progress and make recommendations on the direction of collaborative R&D projects,
• Establish and regularly review an inventory of the potential areas of needed research, and
• Conduct such other activities to advance achievement of the GIF’s objective as the members may jointly determine.

The 10 countries agreed to collaborate on development of future-generation nuclear energy systems that can be licensed, constructed and operated in a manner that will provide competitively priced and reliable energy products while satisfactorily addressing nuclear safety, waste, proliferation and public perception concerns. The objective for Generation IV nuclear energy systems is to have them available for international deployment by the year 2030, when many of the world’s currently operating nuclear power plants will be at or near the end of their operating licenses.

From the early interactions of the members, it was apparent that the objectives of the R&D deserved further development. Two activities were spawned: the Policy and Experts Groups began working on a set of goals for Generation IV systems, and a major activity was started to produce a technology roadmap (roadmapping is a methodology used to define and manage the planning and execution of large-scale R&D efforts).

More than 100 technical experts from the 10 member countries contributed to preparation of the Generation IV Technology Roadmap. The scope of the R&D described in this roadmap covers all of the Generation IV systems. However, each GIF country will focus on those systems and the subset of R&D activities that are of greatest interest to them. Thus, the roadmap provides a foundation for formulating national and international program plans on which the GIF countries will collaborate to advance Generation IV systems.

Increased collaboration on R&D to be undertaken by the Forum will stimulate progress toward the realization of such systems. With international commitment and resolve, the world can begin to realize the benefits of Generation IV nuclear energy systems within the next few decades.