Abstract
The European Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNETP) now gathers more than 100 organizations (research organizations, utilities, vendors, technology providers, technical safety organizations, universities, consulting companies, and nongovernmental organizations). Its first Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) was edited by a specific Task Group drawing on contributions from more than 160 scientists and engineers from more than 60 member organizations of SNETP and taking into account the feedback obtained from an open public consultation: the SRA provides the foundation for the establishment of joint research priorities that will enable European stakeholders, with the support of the European Commission, to transform a shared vision into reality, thus contributing to European energy policy and in particular, via the European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative (ESNII), to the objectives of the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan).
This chapter summarizes the contents of the agenda and presents the prospects for the need for hot labs and their application to the different generations of reactors. The implications of the Fukushima accident for SNETP is discussed and the imperative necessity of increased research, education, and training, to reinforce nuclear energy sustainability is also emphasized.
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Notes
- 1.
Fast neutrons are those neutrons generated by nuclear reaction, moving at a very high velocity
(~20,000 km/s) corresponding to a kinetic energy of ~2 MeV.
- 2.
Thermal neutrons are also called slow or thermalized neutrons (in equilibrium with the atoms of the matter) and move at a low velocity (#2–3 km/s) corresponding to a kinetic energy of ~1 eV.
- 3.
1 eV is 1 electron volt. Its value is defined as the kinetic energy of an electron accelerated from rest through a potential difference of one volt. So 1 eV = 1.6 10−19 J, 1 keV = 103 eV, 1 Mev = 106 eV, 1 Gev = 109 eV.
- 4.
Spallation is a process in which fragments of material (spall) are ejected from a body due to impact or stress. In the present case, a high-energy proton coming from an accelerator impinges on a heavy metal atom (the spallation target: lead, bismuth, etc.), producing in particular a flux of neutrons.
- 5.
1 EJ = 1 ExaJoule = 1018 J.
Abbreviations
- ADS:
-
Accelerator-driven systems
- ASTRID:
-
Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration
- CCS:
-
Carbon capture and storage
- CEA:
-
Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission).
- dpa:
-
Displacement per atom (irradiation exposure unit)
- ENEF:
-
European Nuclear Energy Forum
- ENEN:
-
European Nuclear Education Network
- EPR:
-
European pressurised water reactor
- ESNII:
-
European Sustainable Nuclear Industrial Initiative
- ETKM:
-
Education, training, and knowledge management
- ETPP:
-
Experimental Technological Pilot Plant
- EU:
-
European Union
- FNR:
-
Fast neutron reactor
- FP6:
-
Framework Program 6
- Gen III:
-
Third generation reactors
- Gen IV:
-
Fourth generation reactors
- GFR:
-
Gas fast reactor
- GIF:
-
Generation IV International Forum
- JRC EU’s:
-
Joint Research Centre
- LFR:
-
Lead fast reactor
- LWR:
-
Light water reactor
- MOX:
-
Mixed oxide fuel (uranium and plutonium) involving spent fuel treatment
- MFSR:
-
Molten salt fast reactor
- MYRRHA:
-
Multi-purpose hybrid research reactor for high-tech applications
- P&T:
-
Partitioning and transmutation
- PSA:
-
Probabilistic safety assessment
- PWR:
-
Pressurized water reactors
- SCK·CEN:
-
StudieCentrum voor Kernenergie – Centre d’Etude de l’énergie Nucléaire – Belgian Nuclear Research Centre
- SCWR:
-
Supercritical water reactor
- SET Plan:
-
Strategic Energy Technology Plan
- SFR:
-
Sodium fast reactor
- SNETP:
-
Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform
- SRA:
-
Strategic Research Agenda
- VHTR:
-
Very High Temperature reactor
- WETO:
-
World Energy Technology and Climate Policy Outlook
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Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank the European nuclear energy research community that was represented by the colleagues listed in the SRA report of SNETP and those who authored the IFA SNETP report whose works served to synthesize this chapter.
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Abderrahim, H.A. (2013). Sustainable Nuclear Energy Helps Europe to Meet Its Energy Challenges. In: Saulnier, J., Varella, M. (eds) Global Change, Energy Issues and Regulation Policies. Integrated Science & Technology Program, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6661-7_5
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