International interest in HTGR technology has been increasing in recent years due to a growing recognition of the potential of HTGR designs to provide high efficiency, cost effective electricity generation appropriate for the conditions in developing countries, and in the longer term to provide a source of high and low-temperature process heat, for nuclear hydrogen and nuclear desalination applications. The inherent safety characteristics of these reactors, buttressed by the robust fuel design are seen as some of the reasons for this renewed interest. GT-MHR Concept (USA). The early HTGR designs were the AVR, a 10 MW test reactor in Juelich, Germany (left picture)
