La recherche scientifique face aux défis de l'énergie - BibSciences.org

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 29
In the immediate short-term future (3 yrs) there is a need
– To identify, among the possible energy policy orientations, those to be
considered as priorities and, on this basis, to define an energy policy,
coherent not only at the national level but also, if possible, at the
European level.
– To make an accurate assessment as to the amounts of resources
available and the conditions that could warrant exploitation of nonconventional
hydrocarbon sources, notably shale gas and likewise take
into account the rapid policy changes in some major industrialised
countries (USA, UK…).
– To undertake and implement timely decisions to resolve the major
problems identified today. A case in point is that of nuclear wastes,
destined to be disposed of in geological repositories (French Law 2006).
A new law in this area is planned for year 2015 to clarify and define
the conditions for the underground storage and this horizon must be
taken into account inasmuch as the results of research work in relation
to safety concerns for waste storage are already available. It is to be
noted, that the French Cour des Comptes [national comptroller] report
on the electro-nuclear sector activities, indicates that the uncertainty
factor induced by costs of disposing wastes from industrialised power
generation in nuclear reactors, and likewise for future decommissioning
and dismantling of plants, will only have a weak effect on the cost of
producing electricity from nuclear sources (e.g., doubling up the costs of
disposing nuclear wastes would only lead to a 1% increase in
production cost balance).
– Not to take decisions dictated by essentially political considerations
without waiting for a scientific and technological assessment, decisions
which would negatively influence the delicate balance between fossil/
renewable/nuclear resources and the development of associated
technological infrastructures. Incoherent policy making has been
recently exemplified in the case of photovoltaic power generation. The
Committee hopes that such errors will not be repeated when time will
come to making decisions about 4th generation nuclear reactor
research design and planning.
In the mid-term period (2020-2030)
What are the real possibilities to see France’s main energy sources evolve over
the coming 20 years? To what extent may nuclear generated power be
replaced by intermittent energy sources?