Prague, 24/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - With more than 450 nuclear research experts meeting in Prague to take part in the nuclear research conference (FISA), this 7th conference beat all attendance records. Organised every two or three years on the initiative of the European Commission, the conference that has just taken place in the Czech capital on 22-24 June, is considered as a kind of professional show room that enables the main European players to meet up. The institutions therefore look at progress made with companies and business leaders in the nuclear sector, whilst many academics and researchers also take part in discussions.
This is also an occasion for the European Commission to meet a certain number of actors from the sector who share the €50 million the institution allocates every year to fund around fifteen projects in research and development, radio protection, nuclear safety and radioactive waste management. To obtain support, a project must bring together at least three EU countries together and attain agreements between national representations.
According to Simon Webster, the head of the European Commission's DG R&D “Fission” Unit, the message to get across consists of two priority aims: “reduce carbonic gas emissions by 20% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels, then by 60-80% by 2050”. In order to bring entrepreneurs in line on these targets, the Commission intends to promote, according to Simon Webster, projects that allow for the life cycles of current nuclear reactors to be extended and which date back to the 1970s (they originally had a 40 year life cycle); setting up of 3rd generation reactors by 2012 but also and above all because it is a less profitable research area for companies in the short term and research will allow for the installation of 4th generation reactors by 2040. According to the experts, these 4th generation reactors should help produce between 60 and 100 times more energy for the same amount of uranium. (P.B.)