In the Work Package Breeding Blanket (WPBB) of the European DEMO program, the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed (HCPB) breeding blanket is one of the two driverblanket candidates for the European DEMO and to be tested as test blanket module (TBM) in ITER. In the Pre-Concept Design (PCD) phase (2014-2020), within the framework of the EUROfusion consortium in Europe, the design of the HCPB breeding blanket has been changed to address various challenges facing the HCPB blanket concept. One of the big challenges was the use of Beryllium pebbles as the neutron multiplier in the previous design. Irradiation campaign showed that the tritium retention in the Be pebbles could impose severe safety issues and exceed the tritium limit of EU DEMO. Beryllides, on the other hand, have better properties in terms of volumetric swelling, tritium retention, irradiation and melting temperature. This talk will focus on the current design status of the European DEMO HCPB breeding blanket and conclude with future activities in the Concept Design phase (2021-2027)
