Euratom FP6 Research Projects and Training Activities Volume III

Introduction
This brochure describes the third batch of
research projects funded by the specific
programme for ‘Research and Training on
Nuclear Energy (2002-2006)’ under the Sixth
Euratom Framework Programme for Nuclear
Research and Training Activities (FP6). The
projects described here all involve research
activities in the general area of nuclear fission,
including the management of nuclear waste,
radiation protection, and other activities in
the field of nuclear technologies and safety,
such as innovative concepts, education and
training, and the safety of existing nuclear
installations. Euratom activities on research
and development for nuclear fusion are not
covered here.
One-third of the electricity consumed in the enlarged EU is
generated by nuclear (fission) power. Over the next 50 years,
world energy demand is set to increase rapidly: global
energy use will at least double, with electricity demand
growing fastest and new energy carriers, such as hydrogen,
entering the market. As an indigenous and dependable
source of energy, nuclear power can contribute to the EU’s
independence and security of future energy supply. More
advanced reactor technology promises significant improvements
in the efficiency and sustainability of nuclear power
production whilst, at the same time, ensuring even higher
standards of safety and producing less waste.
Moreover, in the context of increasing evidence of climate
change, and a consequent need to reduce fossil fuel use,
nuclear power is the only carbon-free technology currently
available to advanced societies that is able to provide baseload
electricity supply 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This brochure is being published at a time when energy in
general and nuclear energy in particular are in the political
INTRODUCTION
spotlight. In this context, research in nuclear science and
technology, including that coordinated and financed
through the Euratom Framework Programme, is taking on an
enhanced significance. Initiatives such as the Strategic Energy
Technology Plan, whose establishment was endorsed at the
European Council summit in March 2007, and the imminent
creation of a technology platform in sustainable nuclear
energy, are extremely significant developments.
Addressing societal concerns,
protecting the public
However, there are a number of important concerns that
affect the future use of nuclear power in Europe. The
primary issues are operational reactor safety and the
management of long-lived radioactive waste. Protection
of society and the environment is paramount in all
decisions relating to nuclear activities – including the use
of radiation in medical applications. To ensure a continued
high level of safety for society, nuclear technology
demands the use of ‘state-of-the-art’ techniques requiring
a continual supply of highly trained and dedicated people.
Research plays an essential role in this process.
The European dimension to these issues is evident. The
safety of nuclear reactors is an important issue for all countries,
whether or not they themselves operate nuclear
power plants. All countries produce radioactive wastes or,
through the grid, import electricity from nuclear production
in other countries. All hospitals use radioactive substances
in various diagnosis and treatment technologies;
research reactors operate in many countries; universities
use radioactive isotopes in vital research in chemistry,
biology and engineering; and many industrial activities
also use sources of ionising radiation.
All waste is safely managed. The low-hazard waste is already
disposed of on the industrial scale. In the case of the smaller
volume of the most hazardous waste, principally originating
from nuclear power reactors, the continuing R&D effort is
making tremendous progress towards reversible disposal in
deep geological repositories. Various host rocks have been
evaluated and assessments made of the ability of such systems
to isolate this high-level waste from the surface environment
for the required timescales (10 000 years +). In
addition, innovative techniques such as partitioning and
transmutation could reduce the long-term radiotoxicity of
this waste, thereby minimising the timescale required for
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