French N-reactors are better, safer: Official

New Delhi

23 April 2006

As the world capitals consider implications of the proposed India-United States civilian nuclear energy cooperation, France has reiterated that nuclear energy is here to stay and it was important that nations got together to formulate a coherent strategy for developing appropriate energy solutions.

The visiting scientific adviser of the French High Commissioner for Atomic Energy, Dr Jean Jacquinot, told this journalist it was not enough to respond to growing energy needs; nations need to deploy nuclear energy because renewable energy or fossil fuel alone would not suffice.

Dr Jacquinot interacted with Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr Anil Kakodkar and Institute of Plasma Research Director Prof PK Kaw during his visit and held discussions on the status of India's participation in the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project.

Joining issue with the sceptics, Dr Jacquinot said nuclear fusion would become the source of energy in the future. Describing nuclear fusion as the model for the fifth generation reactors, he said projects like the ITER would overcome the problems of storage or reprocessing of radioactive waste and safety.

The only issue about the ITER project and fusion energy, according to him, was time. Referring to the "long lead time," he said it would take anything up to 50 years to harness the nuclear energy through fusion. He nevertheless believed nuclear energy, which had a good safety record despite Chernobyl, was here to stay.

Dwelling on the future prospects for Indo-French collaboration, Dr Jacquinot said France was working on building the fourth generation fission reactors after President Jacques Chirac mandated the French atomic energy commission with the task of replacing the present generation of reactors.

The French official noted that with the incorporation of additional safety elements like secondary containment systems in the "EPR" reacors, the "French reactors had become better than the Russian reactors". He also cited that France meets up to 80 per cent of its energy needs through nuclear energy.