The Generation IV International Forum (GIF) was established in 2000—2001 as an international collaboration of 14 countries. GIF is developing six advanced reactor concepts that aim to provide:
- Improved safety (passive safety features, lower risk of severe accidents).
- Better economics (lower construction and operating costs).
- Reduced waste (some designs can “burn” long-lived actinides).
- Proliferation resistance (fuel cycles that are harder to divert for weapons use).
The six GEN IV designs are:
- Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) — helium-cooled, graphite-moderated; suitable for hydrogen production.
- Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) — builds on decades of fast reactor experience.
- Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) — helium-cooled fast spectrum reactor.
- Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) — uses molten lead or lead-bismuth coolant.
- Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) — fuel dissolved in a molten salt; potentially suitable for the thorium cycle.
- Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactor (SCWR) — high-efficiency water-cooled design.