Nuclear Fusion Top Research Priority for Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium, June 17, 2002 (ENS) - Europe is investing € 1.230 billion in nuclear research, the European Commission announced today. Most of the funds will go towards research and development of nuclear fusion, the same reaction that takes place within the Sun.

The more traditional nuclear fission program will focus on the management and disposal of radioactive waste and foster close research co-operation between national waste management agencies of the 15 European Union Member States.

EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin of Belgium (Photo courtesy European Commission)

Anti-nuclear citizens groups, such as Belgium based coalition Mother Earth, oppose the policy. "Today there is enough evidence that nowhere in the world has the industry been able to demonstrate that it can safely deal with the highly dangerous wastes that are an inevitable consequence of the nuclear fuel cycle."

"Uranium mining has caused extreme damage to both environment and mankind. Chernobyl, Harrisburg, Sellafield and numerous other accidents have broken the myth that nuclear power is safe and clean. The mess created by the nuclear industry will take centuries to clean up," the coalition said.

EU nuclear research will play a key role in ensuring diversified energy sources are available in Europe, Busquin said. The newly adopted Euratom Research Framework Programme sets the guidelines for European nuclear research for the period 2002 to 2006 within a total budget of €1.230 billion.

Diagram of a fusion reaction (Photo courtesy UCAR)

"It would be very good if ITER was built in Europe and I am glad to see that two Member States, France and Spain, have asked to host this facility," said Busquin. "I hope the U.S. will join the consortium again and help us develop this promising technology." ITER partners are the European Union, Japan, Russia and Canada, all of whom are advancing proposals to build the ITER on their territory.

The Bush administration has expressed interest in bringing the United States back into the ITER partnership. The U.S. was one of the original four parties to the ITER agreement signed in Washington, DC on July 21, 1992. But when the agreement expired six years later, the U.S. did not renew it.

On the issue of traditional nuclear energy generated by fission, or splitting of the atom, several EU member nations, such as Germany and Sweden, have been backing away from nuclear power and implementing reactor phase out programs. But others, such as Finland and France, have been moving towards greater use of nuclear energy.

Mother Earth is urging Finland not to build the planned fifth nuclear power plant. "We appeal to the Finnish Government and the Finnish Parliament to put an end to the nuclear experiment," the coalition says. "Nuclear energy has no future."

But Commissioner Busquin says the greenhouse gas emissions required under the Kyoto Protocol make nuclear power would be impossible for Europe to meet without increased reliance on nuclear energy.

"Kyoto provisions for CO2 reduction impose strict requirements to the EU," the commissioner said. "As the US decided not to ratify the Kyoto Treaty, the burden for Europe becomes even heavier."

Nuclear fission powers all nuclear generating plants today including this one, the Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station, Hartlepool, Cleveland, UK (Photo by Ian Britton courtesy Freefoto.com)

Each EU Member State will be in charge of its own nuclear waste management strategy and build its own facilities, but the co-operation with the Commission will ensure a harmonized approach across Europe, and the pooling of world class expertise, Busquin explained.

The Euratom program will promote joint evaluation of innovative nuclear power concepts with potential benefits in terms of safety and low environmental impact. It includes research on radiation protection, not only in relation to nuclear energy, but also in medical treatment and industrial applications.

For an ITER overview visit: http://www.iter.org/

For more about ITER fusion research in Europe visit: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/energy/fu/fu_en.html

For more about ITER fusion research in Canada visit: http://www.itercanada.com/