Meeting EU's energy needs through nuclear fission: Synergy of public and private research in an international context

The availability of an affordable and sustainable energy supply is becoming a major and growing concern for world's future. It is very likely that there is not one single solution to the problem but that it is necessary to call upon a whole set of means such as energy efficiency improvement, deployment of renewable energies, clean coal technologies including CO(2) capture and storage, nuclear development. Indeed, it is more and more recognized that nuclear energy offers a very effective way to contribute to this worldwide challenge. It can be a safe, clean, reliable and cost-effective source of energy, the price of which remaining quite stable. Although the "generations" of nuclear systems are at different degrees of maturity, the scientific, technological and industrial gaps are quite well identified and assessed so that it is possible to describe a detailed roadmap of their development, including R&D needs. A significant part of these R&D needs should be addressed through cooperation involving public and private sector. It is the case for programs relating to safety, radiation protection, PRA (probabilistic risk assessment) methodology, background knowledge about ageing, fuel and fuel cycle for future light water reactors (Gen 3), pre-normative research for the purpose of harmonizing safety demonstration methodologies. Gen 4 systems with an emphasis on sodium-cooled fast breeder, large R&D infrastructures like test reactors and more generally, all obstacles to a consensual development of nuclear energy. R&D program should also be helpful in maintaining appropriate expertise and competencies. Strong cooperation between countries and between stakeholders is necessary to face all these challenges. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.