One of the most important areas of modern energy diplomacy is to promote international cooperation in the eld of nuclear energy. Geopolitical and economic aspects of nuclear energy in thermal reac- tors are considered by us in the article "Vestnik MGIMO» No 4 (43) 2015 year. One of the main drawbacks of this technology is the limited resource base.
The prospect of further development of nuclear energy is associated today with nuclear fast breeder tech- nology, as well as a closed nuclear fuel cycle, which allows the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and nuclear power plants to use in the future accumulated in reactors plutonium as fuel. This situation will greatly increase the resource potential of the global and Russian atomic energy.
One of the pioneers in the development of this technology is the Soviet Union / Russia, where for 30 years without any serious runs fast neutron reactor BN-600 at Beloyarsk NPP, there is built BN-800 reactor and planned to create a commercial reactor BN-1200. Operating experience of fast reactors is present in France, Germany, Britain and Japan, discussed plans to build a nuclear fast breeder in India and China. The United States, a country leader in the nuclear industry in the number of thermal power units built, in 1943 began to conduct research on the creation of fast reactors, but later abandoned their development. On the other hand Russia, began research on fast reactor technology almost simultaneously with the United States, it continues to them today. Why is that? To a large extent the US refusal of some European countries on the fast reactor technology associated today with their higher cost compared with thermal reactors, as well as more serious issues to ensure their safety, the volume of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, non-proliferation regime, that is, problems characteristic of the uranium-plutonium cycle. Are there any other options for generating nuclear power, other than uranium- plutonium cycle, allowing to eliminate these problems? Yes, there is the use of thorium in nuclear power.
In this paper, the basic stages of development of fast reactors in the world and Russia, their features, ad- vantages and disadvantages. We analyzed the open and closed fuel cycle, issues of ensuring the safe operation of the BR, the problem of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, the risks of non-proliferation. Exploring the possibilities and prospects of use of thorium as a nuclear fuel, was performed an economic analysis technology of fast reactors and thorium fuel cycle compared to thermal reactors, concluded on the need for international energy cooperation in nuclear energy.
Key words: nuclear energy, nuclear power, radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, fast reactors, breeders, breeder reactor, non-proliferation of nuclear materials, uranium, plutonium, thorium, thorium fuel cycle, nuclear weapons.
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