Beijing, China – On October 23rd and 24th, 2008, members of the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Policy Group met in Beijing, China. In addition to updates from the GIF Senior Industry Advisory Panel, Experts Group and tours of the China Experimental Fast Reactor (sodium-cooled) and HTR-10 (gas-cooled), a highlight was China’s signing of the Very-High Temperature Gas Reactor (VHTR) System Arrangement. Over the next several months, China will review the existing and planned VHTR Project Arrangements, including Fuel and Fuel Cycle, Hydrogen Production, Materials, and Computational Methods, Validation and Benchmarking.  Other agenda items during the Policy Group meeting included updates by each of the Generation IV reactor concept steering committees and a review of the various communication products including the 2007 Annual Report and a list of Frequently Asked Questions and answers that will be posted on the GIF web page.

Tom O’Connor (left), Director of NE’s Office of Gas Reactor Deployment and Chairman of the Very-High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) Steering Committee, looks on with Huang Wei (center) Deputy Director of China Atomic Energy Authority’s International Cooperation Department, as Yang Dazhu (right), Director General of China Atomic Energy Authority’s International Cooperation Department, signs the Generation IV International Forum VHTR System Arrangement.