Euratom FP6 Research Projects and Training Activities · Interested in European research?...

ALISIA

ANTIOXI

ARGONA

CANDIDE

CARD

CATT

CIP

EFNUDAT

EISOFAR

ELSY

ENEN-II

ERA-PRO

FUTURAE

GENEPI-ENTB 2

GENEPI-lowRT

GENRISK-T

HPLWR Phase 2

LWR-DEPUTY

MAGIC

MICADO

MTR+I3

NICODEME

NOTE

NUDAME

NULIFE

OBRA

PAMINA

PATEROS

PLINIUS FP6

PROTECT

PuMA

SAPIERR-II

SNF-TP

THERESA

TIMODAZ

TMT Handbook

VELLA

Euratom FP6 Research Projects andTraining Activities

Volume III

EUR 22385

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Interested in European research?

Research*eu is our monthly magazine keeping you in touch with main developments (results, programmes,events, etc.). It is available in English, French, German and Spanish. A free sample copy or free subscriptioncan be obtained from:

European Commission Directorate-General for ResearchCommunication UnitB-1049 BrusselsFax (32-2) 29-58220E-mail: [email protected]: http://ec.europa.eu/research/research-eu

EUROPEAN COMMISSIONDirectorate-General for Research Directorate J – Energy (Euratom) Unit J.2 – Fission

Email: [email protected]

Contact: Katerina PtackovaOffice CDMA 1/60 B-1049 Brussels

Tel. +32 (0)2 298 69 70 Fax +32 (0)2 295 49 91

Email: [email protected]

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Volume III

Euratom FP6 Research Projects and Training Activities

Directorate-General for Research2007 Euratom EUR 22385

LEGAL NOTICE

Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for theuse which might be made of the following information.

The views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

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3

CONTENTS

Introduction 5

FP6 research activities 7

Partnership in Euratom FP6 14

Management of radioactive waste 17

Geological disposal ARGONA 18CARD 20CATT 22CIP 24MICADO 26OBRA 28PAMINA 30SAPIERR-II 32THERESA 34TIMODAZ 36

Partitioning and transmutation CANDIDE 38EFNUDAT 40LWR-DEPUTY 42NUDAME 44PATEROS 46PuMA 48VELLA 50

Radiation protection 53

Quantification of risks associated with low and protracted exposures ERA-PRO 54Radiobiology GENEPI-ENTB 2 56

GENEPI-lowRT 58GENRISK-T 60NOTE 62

Protection of the environment and radioecology FUTURAE 64PROTECT 66

Risk and emergency management TMT Handbook 68

Other activities in the field of nuclear technologies and safety 71

Innovative concepts ALISIA 72EISOFAR 74ELSY 76HPLWR Phase 2 78

Education and training ENEN-II 80Safety of existing installations ANTIOXI 82

MAGIC 84NULIFE 86

Infrastructures MTR+I3 88NICODEME 90PLINIUS FP6 92

Cross-cutting SNF-TP 94

Glossary 96

Index of projects 101

5

Introduction

INTRODUC TION

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 isgenerated 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 demandgrowing fastest and new energy carriers, such as hydrogen,entering the market. As an indigenous and dependablesource of energy, nuclear power can contribute to the EU’sindependence and security of future energy supply. Moreadvanced reactor technology promises significant improve-ments in the efficiency and sustainability of nuclear powerproduction whilst, at the same time, ensuring even higherstandards of safety and producing less waste.

Moreover, in the context of increasing evidence of climatechange, and a consequent need to reduce fossil fuel use,nuclear power is the only carbon-free technology currentlyavailable to advanced societies that is able to provide base-load electricity supply 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This brochure is being published at a time when energy ingeneral and nuclear energy in particular are in the political

spotlight. In this context, research in nuclear science andtechnology, including that coordinated and financedthrough the Euratom Framework Programme, is taking on anenhanced significance. Initiatives such as the Strategic EnergyTechnology Plan, whose establishment was endorsed at theEuropean Council summit in March 2007, and the imminentcreation 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 thataffect the future use of nuclear power in Europe. The primary issues are operational reactor safety and the management of long-lived radioactive waste. Protectionof society and the environment is paramount in all decisions relating to nuclear activities – including the useof radiation in medical applications. To ensure a continuedhigh level of safety for society, nuclear technologydemands the use of ‘state-of-the-art’ techniques requiringa continual supply of highly trained and dedicated people.Research plays an essential role in this process.

The European dimension to these issues is evident. Thesafety of nuclear reactors is an important issue for all coun-tries, whether or not they themselves operate nuclearpower plants. All countries produce radioactive wastes or,through the grid, import electricity from nuclear produc-tion in other countries. All hospitals use radioactive sub-stances in various diagnosis and treatment technologies;research reactors operate in many countries; universitiesuse radioactive isotopes in vital research in chemistry, biology and engineering; and many industrial activitiesalso use sources of ionising radiation.

All waste is safely managed. The low-hazard waste is alreadydisposed of on the industrial scale. In the case of the smallervolume of the most hazardous waste, principally originatingfrom nuclear power reactors, the continuing R&D effort ismaking tremendous progress towards reversible disposal indeep geological repositories. Various host rocks have beenevaluated and assessments made of the ability of such sys-tems to isolate this high-level waste from the surface envi-ronment for the required timescales (10 000 years +). Inaddition, innovative techniques such as partitioning andtransmutation could reduce the long-term radiotoxicity ofthis waste, thereby minimising the timescale required for

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EURATOM FP6 RESEARCH PROJECTS AND TRAINING ACTIVITIESVolume III

isolation. However, in parallel to these important advances atthe cutting-edge of science, a less technocratic approach isneeded in order to involve the public in the decision-makingprocess, especially regarding the siting of disposal facilitiesand related waste governance issues. This ability to commu-nicate effectively with the general public is a common con-cern in all technical research projects in this field. TheEuratom programme even includes projects devoted entire-ly to these ‘softer’ societal issues, such as governance and par-ticipative decision-making (see for example the COWAMproject in Vol. I of this brochure, ARGONA, CIP and OBRA inthis volume and also the more general ‘Science and Society’programme under the European Community FrameworkProgramme).

Ultimately, decisions related to management of radioac-tive waste and whether or not to use nuclear power arepolitical and societal ones to be taken at the national level.However, these critical decisions should be based onknowledge, not taken in ignorance. Research can and mustsupply this knowledge.

The programme

The FP6 Euratom programme directly contributed to keypolicy objectives for the EU:

Protection of society and the environment – This funda-mental principle was reinforced through EU legislationunder the founding treaties for both Euratom and theEuropean Community and lies at the heart of all EU policymaking.

Security of energy supply, the fight against climatechange and sustainable economic growth – Energy is thelife-blood of modern society. The Commission’s Green Paper‘A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive andSecure Energy’, published in March 2006, and the compre-hensive ‘energy package’ of 10 January 2007, present thedilemma facing Europe in achieving these three often con-flicting objectives. The EU needs to protect itself from risks ofinterruption to energy supplies, by using a diverse portfolioof energy sources and technologies, developing furtherindigenous and renewable energy sources and by improv-ing energy efficiency. The consequences of increased globaltemperatures driven by human activity, in particular theemission of greenhouse gases due to the use of fossil fuels, isone of the greatest environmental and economic challengesfacing society. Economic development, sustainable growthand jobs are at the cornerstone of the Lisbon Agenda.Nuclear power in particular is one of the energy technolo-gies that can help the EU meet all three challenges.

The knowledge-based society – The Lisbon Council ofMarch 2000 set the EU an objective of becoming the mostcompetitive knowledge-based economy in the world by2010. The achievement of this objective is a top priority.The level of knowledge and expertise in nuclear science inEurope makes it a recognised world leader in many aspectsof nuclear technology and enables a competitive edge forEuropean enterprise.

Research on nuclear fission and radiation protection at apan-European level carried out within FP6 and earlierframework programmes has encouraged significantlyincreased levels of cooperation in Europe. This has result-ed in substantial benefits to the EU as a whole by ensuringhigh levels of nuclear safety and environmental protec-tion. The identified priority thematic research areas are ofconcern to all Member States and, by enabling a coordi-nated effort, the framework programme ensures thedevelopment of a common European view on scientificissues, as well as harmonisation of standards across theUnion and beyond.

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FP6 research activities

FP6 RESEARCH AC TIVITIES

The legislative basis of the FP6 Euratom programme is to befound in Council Decision 2002/668/Euratom1 adopting theSixth Framework Programme of the European Atomic EnergyCommunity (Euratom), covering both fusion- and fission-related activities.

The activities undertaken within FP6 cover similar thematicpriorities to those of the Fifth Euratom Framework Programme (FP5 Euratom): the management of radioac-tive waste, radiation protection, and other activities in thefield of nuclear technologies and safety.

The activities undertaken within FP6 Euratom were allocated a similar overall budget (allowing for inflation) toFP5 but focused on a smaller number of (larger) projects.The new instruments available under FP6 (see box on page 8)were being applied to reinforce further integration in thisarea of European research.

During FP5, some 222 Euratom projects were funded with atotal of EUR 163 million allocated from the EU budget.Nearly all of these projects have now been completed. Final reports on FP5 Euratom projects are available at:http://cordis.europa.eu/fp5-euratom/src/lib_finalreports.htm.

The 37 FP6 Euratom projects listed below, grouped underthematic priorities, are described in greater detail later inthe brochure. These projects are the third and final batchof FP6 Euratom projects to be funded. This third call forproposals was published on 8 June 2005 with a deadline of11 October 2005. The projects also include SpecificSupport Actions from a call for proposals that was continuously open through FP6 with cut-off dates everysix months (see p. 11). The final cut-off date for this continuous FP6 call was 11 April 2006.

The results of the first and second calls for proposals can befound in Volumes I and II of this brochure. The first call wasissued on 17 December 2002 with a deadline of 6 May2003, whilst the second call was issued in 14 November2003 with a deadline of 14 April 2004.

In total, 77 projects have been contracted under FP6Euratom, representing cumulative European Commissionfunding of EUR 186 million. A number of individual fellow-ships and grants were also awarded during FP6; these arenot reported in this brochure.

Management of radioactive waste

The main research areas here are the geological disposal ofhighly active and long-lived radioactive waste and the minimisation of the radiologically most hazardous component of this waste through partitioning and transmutation (separation of the more hazardous isotopesand their conversion to less hazardous ones). Support forEuropean actinide science – the science of the heavy elements used and/or produced by nuclear reactions – isan important part of the programme that cuts across boththe above main areas. Important synergies also existbetween partitioning and transmutation and research innuclear systems.

The funded projects (see box on page 8 for a description ofFP6 instruments) described in this volume are:

Geological disposal

❚ ARGONA – A STREP on how new political processes canbe implemented in policy-making for nuclear wastemanagement.

1 http://cordis.europa.eu/fp6-euratom/lib_legislative.htm

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❚ OBRA – This CA will consider the feasibility of establish-ing an observatory for the long-term governance ofradioactive waste management in Europe.

❚ PAMINA – The main objective of this IP is to improve andharmonise integrated performance assessment metho -dologies for disposal in deep geological environments.

❚ SAPIERR-II – This CA builds on the feasibility studies produced in previous projects to develop prac ticalimplementation strategies and organisational struc-tures for shared waste facilities in Europe.

❚ THERESA – Deep geological repositories will need the reliable models developed in this STREP to simulate complex thermal, hydrological, mechanical and chemicalprocesses over long time periods.

❚ CARD – A CA assessing the feasibility of setting up atechnology platform in the field of research on geological disposal of radioactive waste.

❚ CATT – This SSA will help to facilitate technology transfer between Member States in particular in thecontext of possible regional waste repositories.

❚ CIP – The COWAM in Practice STREP will cover theimplementation of the decision-making and gover-nance practices and principles recommended byCOWAM and other Euratom projects.

❚ MICADO – Uncertainties in current models used todescribe dissolution mechanisms for high-level wastein repositories will be assessed in this CA and futureresearch needs identified.

FP6 instruments

Networks of Excellence (NoE) aim to strengthen and develop the Community’s scientific and technological excel-lence by integrating, at European level, research and training capacities at national and regional level. Each NoE willadvance knowledge in a particular research area by assembling a critical mass of expertise and organising activitiestargeted towards long-term, multi-disciplinary objectives.

Integrated Projects (IP) are designed either to give increased impetus to the Community’s competitiveness in a spe-cific research area or to address a major societal issue by mobilising a critical mass of research and technologicaldevelopment resources. Clear scientific and technological objectives will be identified and specific results in termsof products, processes or services pursued.

Specific Targeted Research or Training Projects (STREP) aim to improve European competitiveness and should havea sharp focus. A STREP could be a research project designed to gain new knowledge to improve or develop newproducts, processes or services. Alternatively, it could be a demonstration project designed to validate new tech-nologies with economic potential.

Coordination Actions (CA) promote and support coordinated initiatives between research and innovation opera-tors to improve integration. They cover activities such as conference organisation, sharing of best practice, and theestablishment of information systems.

Actions to promote and develop human resources and mobility cover a variety of activities under the generalumbrella of training, education and mobility, including Training Fellowships (TF), Special Training Courses (STC),Grants for Co-operating with Third Countries (GFTC) and Transnational Access to Large Infrastructures (TALI).

Specific Support Actions (SSA) complement the implementation of the framework programme and may be used toprepare for future EU R&D work, including monitoring and assessment activities.

Integrated Infrastructure Initiatives (III) combine in one single action several activities to reinforce and develop researchinfrastructures to provide services at the European level. This could include networking activities with a support activity.

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❚ TIMODAZ – A STREP assessing the extent to which thedamaged zone induced by the excavation and thermalimpact of the repository might affect long-term safety.

Partitioning and transmutation (including cross-cuttingwith nuclear systems)

❚ CANDIDE – This CA will ensure that appropriate high-quality nuclear data are available for input todesign activities for future reactor systems.

❚ EFNUDAT – An III on differential neutron data measure-ments, vital to support transmutation system andGeneration IV reactor design studies.

❚ LWR-DEPUTY – A STREP looking at methods to burnplutonium and other high-level waste in existingnuclear power plants.

❚ NUDAME – Researchers are gaining improved access to unique facilities at the Neutron Physics Unit in JRC-IRMM through this TALI.

❚ PATEROS – A CA setting out the European vision for the deployment of partitioning and transmutationtechnology up to pilot plant stage.

❚ PuMA – This STREP will examine aspects of the use andtransmutation of plutonium and other transuraniumisotopes in fuels for future very high temperature gas-cooled reactors.

❚ VELLA – This III will create a virtual European laboratoryfocussing on lead technologies for advanced nuclearapplications.

Radiation protection

A major focus of this research is a better understanding ofthe mechanisms of radiation carcinogenesis and betterquantification of the risks from exposure to radiation at lowand protracted doses – this has important implications forthe use of ionising radiation in both medicine and industry(including nuclear energy). It also has implications for pop-ulations living in regions with higher-than-average back-ground (or natural) radiation. The area also coversprotection of the environment and radioecology, risk andemergency management, and protection in the workplace.


The European Research Area (ERA) and Euratom

The ‘Euratom experience’ during previous framework programmes has been one of consistent success in pursuingessential research and facilitating pan-European collaborative efforts on waste management, reactor technologyand safety, and radiation protection. This research effort is helping to retain and improve competences and know-how, thereby maintaining the competitiveness of European industry in these fields.

In the fission area, there is also close co-operation between the various research players as a result of bilateral and multilateral agreements, including at international level (for instance under the auspices of the OECD/NEA, IAEA or ISTCand STCU) . The Euratom Framework Programme is making full use of these opportunities as well as those offered throughumbrella agreements on the peaceful uses of nuclear technology concluded between Euratom and third countries.

In co-operation with the Member States, a number of activities have been undertaken that are helping to build andimplement the ERA. In particular, these include mapping the capacity of research centres and other research players inEurope and identifying the topics in the various research areas that need more coordination. The new instruments inFP6 (Integrated Projects and Networks of Excellence) have made a significant contribution to integrating the key players in this area and establishing the ERA in nuclear fission science and technology. This restructuring effect of the FP6 instruments will be capitalised upon during FP7, especially through the establishment by the research community of technology platforms in sustainable nuclear energy (official launch date 21 September 2007) and geological disposal (currently being planned in the CARD project).

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The funded projects described are:

Quantification of risks associated with low and protracted doses

❚ ERA-PRO – This SSA will enable online access to the datacontained in the European Radiobiological Archives.

Radiobiology

❚ GENEPI-ENTB 2 – The genetic basis for variations in patientresponse to radiotherapy, from adverse reaction to noeffect on targeted tumours, will be studied in this STREP.

❚ GENEPI-lowRT – This STREP will look to identify geneticmarkers that relate to differing clinical responses toradiotherapy.

❚ GENRISK-T – A STREP investigating how genetic differences influence the risk of developing cancer, particularly at low radiation dose.

❚ NOTE – This four-year IP will study the health effects ofradiation on cells adjacent to the cells that are the target of therapeutic radiation.

Protection of the environment and radioecology

❚ FUTURAE – A CA to investigate the feasibility of estab-lishing one or more Networks of Excellence in the fieldof radioecology.

❚ PROTECT – This CA will compare methodologies usedto protect the environment from ionising radiation withapproaches used to protect it from other stressor contaminants such as chemicals.

Risk and emergency management

❚ TMT Handbook – Practical tools and responses to terrorist incidents involving nuclear or radioactivematerials for responsible national authorities will be setout in the handbook produced by this STREP.

Other activities in the field of nuclear technologies and safety

These activities cover three main areas:

1. research on innovative reactor concepts, for examplevery-high-temperature nuclear reactors, includingother applications for nuclear power such as hydrogenproduction;

2. safety of existing nuclear installations, including plant-lifemanagement (providing a basis for the extended operation of existing plants), research on severe acci-dents and decommissioning activities, though activitieson decommissioning have been much reduced com-pared to previous programmes as a result of the highlevel of industrial maturity already achieved in this sector;

3. important cross-cutting aspects such as education andtraining and infrastructure projects, including the establishment of new courses and the harmonisation ofrelevant curricula.

The preservation and enhancement of a skills base fornuclear science and engineering in Europe is a fundamentalprerequisite for effective R&D, the competitiveness of thesector, and the maintenance of high levels of nuclear safetyand radiation protection. Education and training is there-fore a key element of the EU support in this sector. For example, by promoting exchange of personnelbetween Member States and institutions, this activityspreads knowledge and best practice, and helps buildfuture research partnerships. It also allows scientists from allMember States to access the best equipment and facilities.

The funded projects described are:

Innovative concepts

❚ ALISIA – The molten salt technologies being investigatedin this SSA could be important in a number of innova-tive nuclear applications.

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❚ EISOFAR – This SSA addresses the future of sodium-cooled reactor technology.

❚ ELSY – A STREP looking at the design of a competitiveand safe molten lead-cooled fast critical reactor.

❚ HPLWR Phase 2 – The use of supercritical water as a coolantin light-water reactor technology to give improved efficiency and lower cost will be evaluated in this STREP.

Education and training

❚ ENEN-II – Building on the FP5 ENEN and FP6 NEPTUNOprojects, this CA will expand education and trainingactivities from academic to professional and industrialsettings.

Safety of existing nuclear installations

❚ ANTIOXI – This STREP will construct an improved predictive model for radioactive build-up and corrosionphenomena in nuclear power plants.

❚ MAGIC – A better understanding of the ageing mecha-nisms in the instrumentation and control systems ofnuclear power plants is the subject of this CA.

❚ NULIFE – Integration of safety-orientated research onmaterials, structures and systems resulting in harmonised lifetime assessment methods for nuclearpower plants is the aim of this NoE.

Infrastructures

❚ MTR+I3 – This III will reinforce Europe’s capabilities fortesting materials and fuel in realistic in-pile radiationenvironments.

❚ NICODEME – This TALI project will coordinate access to large-scale thermal-hydraulic facilities for plant component testing.

❚ PLINIUS FP6 – Unique experimental facilities that simulate reactor environments during severe accidentscenarios are made available through this TALI project.

Cross-cutting issues

❚ SNF-TP – This CA will develop a strategy and roadmapfor a technology platform in nuclear fission research tobe established in 2007.

Smaller funding instruments – the continuously open call

Within FP6 Euratom, an open call received proposals on acontinuous basis with evaluations after six-monthly cut-offdates in April and October. The following instruments (seebox on p. 8 for more details) and areas are covered:

❚ Specific Support Actions (SSA): These projects areincluded in the present brochure under the appropriatethematic areas.

❚ Actions to promote and develop human resources andmobility: These include funding for training fellowships,special training courses and grants for co-operationwith third countries to allow young researchers fromthe Newly Independent States (NIS) of the formerSoviet Union to work in EU laboratories (not included inthis brochure). Actions also include TransnationalAccess to Large Infrastructures (TALI), an instrumentthat facilitates access by research workers to key infra-structure facilities (funded projects are again includedunder the appropriate thematic area in this brochure).


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Forward to FP7

The Seventh Euratom Research Framework Programme (FP7 Euratom) is now underway. Euratom FP7 was formallyadopted towards the end of December 2006 and covers the five-year period 2007-2011. The total budget isEUR 2.75 billion, of which EUR 287 million has been allocated to ‘indirect’ research actions on nuclear fission andradiation protection and a further EUR 517 million reserved for the ‘direct’ research programme undertaken by theJRC. FP7 Euratom may be extended for an additional two years to correspond with the seven-year duration of theEC Framework Programme. The Euratom programme largely maintains continuity with the FP6 funding instrumentswith an emphasis on increased coordination with national and industrial programmes, in particular via the estab-lishment of technology platforms – the basis of which is being established through projects initiated during FP6. The Commission has also put in place simplified administrative procedures to facilitate access to the programme.

The objective of the FP7 Euratom in nuclear fission and radiation protection is to establish a sound scientific andtechnical basis that can accelerate practical developments for the safer management of long-lived radioactivewaste, promote safer, more resource-efficient and competitive exploitation of nuclear energy, and ensure a robustand socially acceptable system of protection of people and the environment against the effects of ionising radia-tion. Research activities are proposed under five main headings, the first three being thematic and the last twoessentially cross-cutting.

Management of radioactive waste will involve implementation-orientated R&D for deep geological disposal oflong-lived radioactive waste, and, as appropriate, demonstration activities on technologies and safety to underpinthe development of a common European view on the management and disposal of waste. It will also encompassresearch on partitioning and transmutation and other concepts that have the potential to reduce the amountand/or hazard of the waste for disposal.

Reactor systems research will help to ensure the continued safe operation of existing nuclear power reactors,including aspects such as lifetime extension, and assess the potential and safety aspects of future sustainable reac-tor technologies, particularly as regards resource efficiency, safety, proliferation resistance and waste production.

Radiation protection will look principally at the risks from low-dose and medical uses of radiation in order to pro-vide the scientific basis for a robust, equitable and socially acceptable system of protection that will not unduly limitthe use of radiation in medicine and industry. Research will also be undertaken to mitigate the potential impact ofacts of nuclear and radiological terrorism.

Support to infrastructures will target key European research facilities such as material test reactors, undergroundresearch laboratories, tissue banks and radiobiology facilities that are needed to maintain the high standards oftechnical ability in the European nuclear sector. This will include support for the design and construction of newinfrastructures or the refurbishment of existing facilities, together with facilitating access by research workers.

Support for human resources and training will ensure the retention and development of a skills base coveringnuclear competences, thereby guaranteeing the future availability of suitably qualified researchers and engineersin the European nuclear sector.

For further information, please visit http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/euratom-fission

SPAIN

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Partnership in Euratom FP6

RMANY

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CZECH REP.

POLAND

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Partnership in Euratom FP6 (EU-27 and Associated Countries)

Euratom international co-operation agreements (in force or under negotiation)

Other countries

KAZAKHSTAN

CHINA

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Geological disposal ARGONA 18CARD 20CATT 22CIP 24MICADO 26OBRA 28PAMINA 30SAPIERR-II 32THERESA 34TIMODAZ 36

Partitioning and transmutation CANDIDE 38EFNUDAT 40LWR-DEPUTY 42NUDAME 44PATEROS 46PuMA 48VELLA 50

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MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE

ARENAS FOR RISK GOVERNANCE

NOVEL METHODS FOR IMPROVED DECISION-MAKING

The ARGONA project intends to

demonstrate how participation

and transparency link to political

and legal systems. In particular it will show

how new approaches can be implemented in

discussion and policy-making for nuclear

waste management programmes. Theoretical

development will be undertaken and new

approaches tested. Decision-makers and

stakeholders at both national and local levels

will be involved in the project.

Improving theory and practice

ARGONA involves fourteen organisations from eightcountries. Together they represent implementers andregulators of nuclear waste management, universityinstitutions, research institutes and consultant companies.Some of the participants are actively involved in nuclearwaste management programmes, while others areresearchers in natural and social sciences. Research activitieswill also include actors from civil society, such as localauthorities, public interest groups, and non-governmentalorganisations. The project is coordinated by the SwedishNuclear Power Inspectorate (SKI) and managed by KaritaResearch, Sweden.

ARGONA will analyse the processes in a wide set of modelsfor deliberation and transparency in the light of currentpolitical and legislative structures in a more conscious waythan has been done so far. The project will also show theway forward through the implementation of new andinnovative approaches to transparency and participation indecision-making. This will mean transferring not justtheoretical knowledge between countries in Europe butalso know-how on implementation.

Transparency and risk communication

While realising that informing the public on methods fornuclear waste management is not sufficient for publicacceptance, the nuclear waste management community

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has entered a phase of actively encouraging stakeholderparticipation and input and of engaging the social sciences on a much larger scale than was the case just adecade ago. However, there remains scope for increasedprogress in such European programmes. This is the case inWestern Europe in spite of the fact that this is where mostof the research has so far been devoted to transparency andparticipation. The new EU member states are now de -veloping their own approaches but they also want to gainfrom methodologies developed earlier within the EUresearch programmes.

ARGONA will investigate how approaches to transparencyand deliberation relate to each other and also how theyrelate to the political system in which decisions, inparticular on the final disposal of nuclear waste, areultimately taken. The project will then turn to study the roleplayed by mediators – those who facilitate publicengagement with nuclear waste management issues – andthe conduct of public consultations. In particular, thecommunication of models used for deliberation andtransparency during consultation exercises will be studied.

Furthermore, the project will investigate how good riskcommunication can be organised taking cultural aspects ofthe participants and different arenas or forums intoaccount. In a central part of the project major efforts will bemade to test and apply approaches to transparency and

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Josefin Päiviö JonssonProject Coordinator

Kjell AnderssonProject Manager

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I N F O R M A T I O Nparticipation by making explicit what it would mean to usedifferent approaches within these different cultural andorganisational settings. Finally, the ARGONA partners willdevelop guidelines for the application of novel approachesthat will enhance real progress in nuclear wastemanagement programmes.

Improving stakeholder participation

The ARGONA project will map policy-making structureswithin EU and in the participating countries and clarify theroles of deliberative and transparency approaches in policy-making structures. It will test a number of approaches tostakeholder participation within the system currentlyestablished in the Czech Republic. The project willdisseminate good risk communication techniques andstrategies across national borders and develop a frameworkfor how behavioural sciences findings and more technicalapproaches can be integrated in risk communicationstrategies.

More public involvement for better decision-making

ARGONA will improve the knowledge of how differentapproaches to stakeholder participation can enhancepublic engagement and involvement. It will increase theawareness among decision-makers and other stakeholdersof the roles of ‘mediators’ of public participation methods,so that their advice can be effectively reviewed beforeappropriate participation methods are implemented.

The project will also disseminate the resulting ARGONAapproaches and findings to other ‘controversial’ policy-making areas, such as biotechnology, the oil industry andother energy-related areas.

Public events

The results of the ARGONA project may be presented at theEuradwaste conference in October 2008.

CoordinatorJosefin Päiviö Jonsson Swedish Nuclear Power InspectorateKlarabergsviadukten 90S-106 58 StockholmTel. (46-8) 698 84 00Fax (46-8) 661 90 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Specific Targeted Research ProjectProject start date: 01/11/2006Duration: 36 monthsTotal budget: EUR 1 857 410EC contribution: EUR 1 200 000

EC Project Officer: Christophe DaviesEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/61B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 16 70Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

PartnersKarita Research AB, Management, SEGöteborg University, SENuclear Research Institute ŘeŽ plc (NRI), CZUniversity of Tampere, FIDECONTA, SKSCK•CEN, BEUniversity of Lancaster, UKRAWRA, CZStockholm University, SEEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre, NLGalson Sciences Ltd, UKUniversity of Stavanger, NOWenergy AB, SE

MANAGEMENT OF RADIOAC TIVE WASTEGeological disposal

The CARD project will assess the

feasibility of a technology platform

that would provide a European

framework for networking and cooperation in

the context of research, development and

demonstration for radioactive waste disposal

across the European Union. In the light of that

assessment, the project will then define

the structure, functions and practical require -

ments of such a technology platform to be

implemented during the Seventh Framework

Programme (FP7).

Scoping the community, building the model

The key objectives of the project are to produce a baselineof information on radioactive waste management in theparticipating national programmes and define the keyfactors that would support the development of atechnology platform or an equivalent European networkingstructure. The team will develop a model of the preferredoption for the structure including specific functions andpractical requirements for the technology platform. Havingdeveloped the preferred model, this will then be presentedto a variety of stakeholders and their views collated. Finallya set of recommendations will be drawn up outlining howthe preferred model could be implemented in FP7.

The partners involved in the project consortium representthe most advanced national programmes in Europe interms of research, development and demonstrationinvestment in the realisation of safe and cost-effectivegeological disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

Consultation and knowledge-sharing

Initially the project will obtain the views of its individualpartners and other interested parties in Member States bymeans of a structured questionnaire. These views will be usedto define the various organisations’ requirements and thepractical approach in respect of implementation of a

20

technology platform. This consultation process will continuewith an EC-sponsored workshop event to discuss thepreferred option. Once a finalised option for the technologyplatform is agreed, a proposal for implementation duringEuratom FP7 will be produced.

Knowledge-sharing is an important aspect of the overallproject and will be served principally by the establishmentof a network of interested parties in the participants’Member States. A dedicated project website will be set upon which results will be posted. In addition to discussion atthe proposed workshop event, the project will bepresented at relevant international conferences.

Platform implementation

The project is intended to have one major, overall result inthe form of a proposal for a technology platform that willact as the basis for networking and cooperation in thecontext of research, development and demonstration ongeological disposal of radioactive waste in the EuropeanUnion. A key aspect would be the transfer of knowledgeand/or technology from well-advanced programmes tothose that are less well advanced.

As a result of the consensual method used to develop thisproposal, it should have the commitment and support of awide range of interested parties in the Member States. Theproposal should be documented and published by the endof 2007 with a view to its implementation in late 2008.

A safe and cost-effective solution

A European technology platform in the area of geologicaldisposal research, development and demonstration shoulddeliver more effective resource utilisation across Europe,particularly in using specialised facilities, specialisedresearch groups or institutes to address common objectivesin existing and future national programmes. It can establisha shared knowledge basis that is applicable to thedevelopment of safety cases, facility designs etc. and helpmapping of competence and excellence in the EuropeanUnion. In particular it can provide advice to the EuropeanCommission on the most relevant topics to be tackled atthe level of framework programmes.

CARD


COORDINATION ACTION FOR THE COORDINATION OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES FOR GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES

A PLATFORM FOR WASTE?

21

I N F O R M A T I O NThe main nuclear sectors interested in the results of theproject are waste management organisations, publicauthorities, regulatory bodies and research centres –particularly those with formal responsibilities in their nationalradioactive waste management programmes. Successfulimplementation of the European technology platformresulting from this project is intended to promote the safe,efficient and more cost-effective delivery of a geologicaldisposal solution for radioactive waste management inEurope.

Public events

A workshop will be held in late 2007, at a time and locationto be agreed with the EC, to promote discussion of theproposed technology platform. It is intended that this willinvolve the full range of prospective participants in thetechnology platform.

CoordinatorAlan HooperNDA Radioactive Waste Management DirectorateCurie AvenueHarwell, DidcotOxfordshire OX11 0RHUnited [email protected]. (44-12) 35 82 54 01Fax (44-12) 35 82 52 89

Project detailsProject type: Coordination ActionProject start date: 01/11/2006Duration: 12 monthsTotal budget: EUR 350 000EC contribution: EUR 350 000

EC Project Officer: Tom McMenaminEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/58B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 02 77Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

Partners ONDRAF/NIRAS, BERadioactive Waste Repository Authority, CZ Posiva Oy, FIAgence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs, FRGesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit mbH, DEAgencija za radioaktivne odpadke, SIEmpresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos, S.A., ESSvensk Kärnbränslehantering AB, SENationale Genossenschaft für die Lagerung radioaktive Abfälle, CH


COOPERATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER ON LONG-TERM RADIOACTIVEWASTE MANAGEMENT FOR MEMBER STATES WITH SMALL NUCLEAR PROGRAMMES

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CAN EASE WASTE PROBLEM

The overall objective of the

CATT study is to investigate the

feasibility of technology transfer

between Member States so that those with less

mature radioactive waste management pro -

grammes could implement long-term solutions

within their own national borders. The project

runs in parallel to the SAPIERR-II FP6 project that

is addressing a pilot initiative on European

regional repositories for radioactive waste.

Robust technology transfer

The CATT project is exploring the viability of implementingrobust technology transfer arrangements betweentechnology-owning Member States and technology-acquiring Member States with respect to the technologiesrequired for long-term deep geological disposal of high-levelradioactive waste. These latter countries may not be currentlyable to develop their own long-term radioactive wastemanagement solutions for various reasons such as insufficientfinancial, technical or human resources. The project has alsoexamined staff training requirements for implementing thetechnical solutions in the recipient Member States. This aspectmay require the development of regional staff teams.

Finally the feasibility of developing the CATT project ideasfurther to develop a multinational co-operation programmein this area under FP7 is being assessed. If this extendedproject is deemed appropriate, then a detailed projectspecification will be produced.

Gathering information

The project has a number of distinct work packages. A keyelement is information gathering in which reports onradioactive waste management in all Member States with civilnuclear power programmes have been produced. The datagathered in the country reports were analysed so as to identifypotential technology transfer options. These options werediscussed at an interim workshop involving all projectparticipants and other stakeholders. The dedicated CATT

22

website was developed as a significant channel for bothinternal and external communications.

The information and analysis derived from the reports andthe workshop outcomes were then used to build a range ofpotential collaboration scenarios that were discussed at a finalworkshop. A final report will describe these scenarios andsuggest a way of moving the collaboration process closer toimplementation as part of Euratom FP7, possibly as atechnology platform activity.

Model report on shared solutions

One of the results of the project will be a proposal for futurecollaboration under FP7. Various scenarios for collaborationcan be envisaged and the project will develop models orprotocols for these, taking account of technical, legal, financialand societal issues. The study has concentrated on high-levelwaste and spent nuclear fuel, both of which require deepgeological disposal. The project developed an understandingof the basic waste management steps in all participatingcountries taking account of waste inventory information suchas type of waste, timing, volumes etc. An analysis of thesesteps determined the likely benefits to be had fromtechnology transfer collaborations. Understanding of thefinancial requirements necessary to implement solutions inpotential technology acquiring states has been improvedtaking account of the characteristics of current and futurefunding mechanisms.

Recommendations will be made so that collaboration can bebuilt on existing, well-developed concepts for encapsulationand disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste withthe ultimate intention of deploying these conceptsthroughout the European Union. In addition, potentialmethods for funding through, for example, European Unionand European Investment Bank programmes will beconsidered along with legal aspects, such as indemnificationissues arising out of the collaboration models, and therequirements for safeguards and security, quality assuranceand quality control.

Safe disposal for all

The major potential impact of this Specific Support Action willbe the development of collaboration models that canfacilitate implementation of a safe and effective geologicaldisposal within any Member State with a nuclear programme,large or small. Realisation of the project will empower

CATT


23

I N F O R M A T I O NMember States with small nuclear programmes to fulfil theirlong-term radioactive waste management obligations whilstobserving the proximity principle (that waste generatedshould be disposed of as close as possible to its site of origin)and without impacting other countries.

There could be positive financial impacts including, fortechnology-owning states, the exploitation of intellectualproperty and provision of services and, for technology-acquiring Member States, the provision of technically definedand cost-effective solutions to long-term radioactive wastemanagement alongside with reduced costs of development.In addition, this will bring benefit to the European Unionthrough a return on previous investments in EuratomFramework Programme projects.

Public events

Two workshops have been held with stakeholders.

CoordinatorJohn MathiesonNuclear Decommissioning Authority (formerly UK Nirex Ltd)Curie AvenueHarwell, DidcotOxon OX11 0RHUnited [email protected]://catt.jrc.nl

Project detailsProject type: Specific Support ActionProject start date: 01/01/2006Duration: 18 monthsTotal budget: EUR 246 894EC contribution: EUR 210 099

EC Project Officer: Thomas McMenaminEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/58B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 02 77Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

Partners Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, UKState Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management, BGDBE Technology GmbH, DEState Enterprise Radioactive Waste Management Agency, LTAgency for Radioactive Waste Management, SISKB International Consultants, SEEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Energy, NL


Fully welded copper canister developed in Sweden for the deep geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Combined with a surrounding clay buffer, the canister is designed to retain its integrityfor at least 10 million years

© SK

B (S

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Over a number of European

research framework programmes,

Community waste management

(COWAM) projects (together with other

EU-sponsored research) have significantly

improved the understanding of radioactive

waste management governance issues. After a

first phase of identification of best practices in

the field of radioactive waste governance, the

essential question raised by decision-makers is:

how to implement these decision-making

practices and principles? This question is all the

more relevant and pressing now that many

countries are entering a new phase in the waste

management process and attempting to

implement innovative and inclusive governance

approaches.

National experiences

The COWAM projects have addressed questions such as local democracy, the influence of local actors on the na-tional decision-making process, the quality of the decision-making process and long-term governance. Parallel effortshave been carried out at national and international level.These projects have produced recommendations and iden-tified best practice with a clear convergence around somebasic principles for the quality of the decision-makingprocess. This has shown that the research community nowholds some appropriate tools to offer to decision-makers.

The objectives of the COWAM in Practice (CIP) project are tocontribute to real, tangible progress in the public gover-nance of radioactive waste management programmes. Theproject will follow up and analyse five national processes ofradioactive waste management governance and offer support to a variety of stakeholders involved in the process,particularly local communities. The project team will work directly on the engagement of these stakeholders with the

24

process and capture the learning from the five individual national experiences for use in similar processes throughoutthe European Union.

The viability and robustness of the project are guaranteedby the contractual participation of skilled institutions and individuals that can provide intellectual, mediation, facilitation and managerial skills as well as participation bykey stakeholders (for example local communities, NGOs,regulators, operators, waste producers, experts etc.) on anon-contractual basis in the five national stakeholdergroups to be established. The originality of this project lies in a cooperative research approach, successfully experimented with and trialled in the COWAM 2 project(2004-2006). This approach pioneered the direct participation of stakeholders in the research groups and inthe steering committee of the process.

Five reviews

The objectives of CIP will be achieved through the live anddirect assessment by concerned stakeholders of the ongoing processes in five Member States. These states areFrance, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom.The stakeholders will be involved in two core and interre-lated activities. For each country a national stakeholdergroup (NSG) will be established to review, from a local per-spective, the inclusive governance approaches developedin its country, and to elaborate a prospective case study.Then based on the five national reviews, a central group ofexperts will draw out any lessons and bring together a setof European Union-level guidelines for inclusive gover-nance of radioactive waste management.

The key orientations of CIP include the empowerment of local communities in the process, mechanisms for facilitating dialogue amongst and between local and national stakeholders without the usual external pressuresfound in dialogues of this nature, and to deepen the national insights highlighted by the five national pro-grammes whilst drawing on best international experience.

Identifying key factors for implementation

Through this structured dialogue process, alternating withan international mise en perspective, CIP will characterisethe general strengths and weaknesses of the observed governance approaches. It will identify the key factors fromthe cultural, historical and institutional context of these

COWAM IN PRACTICE

INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE INTO PRACTICECI

P


25

I N F O R M A T I O Ncountries which influence successful implementation ofgood practices. The follow-up process of the five nationalgroups by governance experts in the methodological taskforce will support the elaboration of recommendations toimprove existing country practices and strengthen the conditions of their successful implementation.

Credible recommendations

Recommendations supported by a wide-ranging stake-holder group, on the basis of a shared assessment (prospec-tive case study), will be developed in each country context.The added value of conducting COWAM in Practice as a European project is twofold: each national stakeholdergroup benefits from the perspective provided by the European input from the methodological task force andcountry-based guidance from the spectrum of situationsrepresented will be integrated in recommendations thattarget all Member States in the enlarged European Union(EU-27).

Enhanced credibility and weight of authority may be lent to the CIP guidance produced in that it will emerge from acompletely voluntary process of dialogue, amongst the people “on the ground” in each country who are dealing day-to-day with the issues of radioactive waste managementgovernance.

CoordinatorGilles Hériard DubreuilMutadis3, rue de la FidélitéF-75010 ParisTél. (33) 148 01 88 77Fax (33) 148 01 00 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Specific Targeted Research ProjectProject start date: 01/01/2007Duration: 36 monthsTotal budget: EUR 1 543 896EC contribution: EUR 799 946

EC Project Officer: Christophe DaviesEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/61B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 1670Fax (32-2) 295 4991

Partners SYMLOG, FRCEPN, FRINR, ROARAO, SIEnviros Spain, ESWestlakes, UKGalson Sciences Ltd, UKICAM, FRInstitut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire, FRSCK•CEN, BE


Direct geological disposal of used

fuel from nuclear energy produc-

tion is a waste management stra-

tegy for many European member states. If the

highly radioactive used nuclear fuel is placed

within a thick-walled metallic container directly

into a repository, the corrosion of the container

and access of slow flowing deep groundwater to

the fuel is likely to occur after some thousands of

years. But what happens if deep groundwater

comes in contact with the fuel? For some 25 years

research has been developing predictive

procedures, accumulating experimental data and

creating theoretical models. The coordinated

action MICADO will assess the uncertainties in

models describing the dissolution mechanism

of spent nuclear fuel in a repository for geological

time periods.

Reliable models for resistance

MICADO’s objective is to find out whether internationalresearch has now provided sufficient reliable models to assess the corrosion resistance of spent fuel in ground-water and to contribute to answering the questionwhether radioactive used fuel from nuclear reactors can bestored safely for hundreds of thousands of years in a geological repository.

Coordinated by SUBATECH/ARMINES this coordinatedaction brings together the efforts of many European wastemanagement agencies, technical support organisationsfor regulators, universities and research organisations in Europe. Together with the involvement of the USDepartment of Energy, this means that most of the world’s leading experts are participating in the project representing a variety of approaches to the prediction ofthe performance of disposed spent fuel over very longtime periods.

26

Assessing uncertainty, identifying needs

The key actions undertaken by the project concern theassessment of uncertainties in the experimental databaseas well as in models used. Direct extrapolation of empiricaldata to the long-term is not currently possible due to thedifficulty of simulating the radiation exposure history ofspent fuel and the large time gap between an experimentconducted for few years in a laboratory and the real timehorizon for disposal of hundreds of thousands of years. Themechanistic models, which translate the experimentalobservations to such long times, are also uncertain.

The project will compare the different approaches andunderlying hypotheses in the context of an evaluation ofthe quality of key experimental data. Two types of uncer-tainties will be assessed: uncertainties governed by thedivergence between the various models and the experi-mental databases and uncertainties in predictions thatarise from comparison of the outcomes of the variousmodels. Detailed descriptions of the various models havealready been produced and they will be compiled andcompared in a common document.

Knowledge on the various approaches and methodolo-gies used in spent fuel performance analyses will beshared via events such as the ‘teaching workshop’ organ-ised in February 2007 in Madrid. From these comparisonsfuture research needs will be identified to reduceobserved uncertainties.

Reliable models and their limits

It is known that certain fractions of the radionuclide inven-tory are very mobile and may be released almost instanta-neously upon groundwater contact. This release mayprovide a very significant contribution to the expected

MODEL UNCERTAINTY FOR THE MECHANISM OF DISSOLUTION OF SPENT FUEL IN A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY

MIC

AD

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© CE

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Spent nuclear fuel

PREDICTING UNDERGROUND SOLUBILITY OF DISPOSED WASTE

27

I N F O R M A T I O Ndose from disposed spent fuel in the first 10 000 years. The size of these mobile fractions may depend on fuel evolution during the thousands of years prior to wateraccess. The project will tell us how reliable our models andthe underlying experimental data are in predicting theselabile radionuclide inventories. Although the project maynot tell us exactly how long it will take for complete dissolution or corrosion of the remaining irradiated fuelmatrix, it will provide the expert-judgement to assess theuncertainties inherent in such estimates.

Finally, the project will provide a clear distinction betweenreal uncertainties (missing data, ill-defined models, uncer-tain boundary conditions etc.) and apparent uncertaintiescaused by various simplification schemes in the models. As an example is it possible to ignore the reactions of radiolytic radicals with the spent fuel surface withoutreducing the precision in the calculations? The exchange ofknowledge in the project will increase the mutual understanding of the current state of knowledge and allowidentification of gaps to be addressed during FP7.

Confidence-building and transferringknowledge

In the absence of a broadly agreed approach to the management and disposal of long-lived waste in geological repositories the project takes a very importantstep in confidence building by assessing the remaininguncertainties in spent fuel behaviour.

The MICADO project provides a unique opportunity byfacilitating knowledge transfer between research institu-tions and universities working on fundamental fuel stabili-ty data and model development, waste managementorganisations trying to assess long term spent fuel stability,and technical support organisations working for regulatorsto evaluate these assessments, as well as with other stake-holders, by creating a common well-reviewed database, byexchanging model approaches, by testing model applica-tions with this database and by assessing the implicationsof these uncertainties on long-term safety evaluations.

CoordinatorB. GrambowSUBATECH (École des mines de Nantes, Université de Nantes, IN2P3 - CNRS) - ARMINES4, rue Alfred KastlerF-44307 NantesTel. (33) 251 85 84 70Fax (33) 251 85 84 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Coordination ActionProject start date: 01/10/2006Duration: 36 monthsTotal budget: EUR 1 750 482EC contribution: EUR 1 300 000


Partners Association pour la recherche et le développement des méthodes et processus industriels, FRAgence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs, FRCommissariat à l’énergie atomique, FRCentro de Investigaciones, Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas, ESEmpresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos, S.A, ESEnviros Spain S.L., ESForschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, DEInstitut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire, FREuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, DEKungliga Tekniska Högskolan, SENationale Genossenschaft für die Lagerung radioaktiver Abfälle, CHStudiecentrum voor Kernenergie/Centre d’étude de l’énergie nucléaire, BESvensk Kärnbränslehantering AB, SESwedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SEStudsvik Nuclear AB, SEUniversitat Politecnica de Catalunya, ESGesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit mbH, DEAssociation Vinçotte Nucléaire/Associatie Vinçotte Nucleair, BEQuintessa Limited, UK


Due to continuing societal concerns

that limit the application of deep

geological disposal in many coun -

tries, a wider societal involvement at a variety of

governance levels in an open, inclusive and

transparent manner is a top-level concern in all

European and national organisations involved in

radioactive waste management. The Co -

ordination Action OBRA will assess the feasibility

of creating an observatory for long-term

governance on radioactive waste management

in Europe. OBRA will contribute by providing

mechanisms for all stakeholders to access the

knowledge generated by successive EU research

programmes both in scientific and social sciences

fields. It will also promote the most appropriate

forms of interaction between stakeholders and

jointly define how results from research, training

and development in radioactive waste

management and disposal are formulated and

how their dissemination is managed.

Wide range of stakeholders

The project presently has ten partners from seven Europeancountries that represent national waste managementorganisations, research institutions, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises and non-governmentalorganisations.

The project aims to benefit a wide range of stakeholdersincluding local communities by improvement of the access toinformation, knowledge and expertise support, the academicand research community through multidisciplinary educationand a networking platform, the European Commission byproviding new approaches to governance at a European level,the national implementing authorities by increasing

28

communication and transparency, and the general public byraising public awareness of governance issues and solutions.

A sustainable observatory model

The key objectives of OBRA are to establish a Europeannetworking platform between universities, implementers,stakeholders and civil society in general. Via this network it willdevelop a sustainable model for a European observatory forlong-term governance in radioactive waste management. Theproject will also test the efficiency of a pilot training packageas a mechanism for the transfer and dissemination ofknowledge gained. In addition, it will make recommendationson how the model of the observatory could be implemented.

The objectives of OBRA will be implemented through fivework packages. One package will set the baseline for theobservatory concept while a second work package will set thestrategic elements of OBRA by defining the mission, objectivesand strategy for the observatory. This package will also addressthe approaches needed to access expertise and informationthrough the observatory. The third package looks at theimplementation and testing of OBRA’s pilot training packagebased on the production and trial of training andcommunication modules via a seminar. Finally two packagesaddress knowledge management and assessment, and theconsortium management respectively.

EUROPEAN OBSERVATORY FOR LONG-TERM GOVERNANCE ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

MECANISMS FOR GOOD WASTE GOVERNANCE

OBR

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Partners of OBRA

© En

viros

(ES)

29

I N F O R M A T I O NInnovative governance

Amongst the anticipated results from OBRA is the provision ofa significant and innovative contribution to the current modelof governance of radioactive waste management. In particularthe project will develop a more harmonised approach foraddressing societal concerns and the public’s perceptions ofradioactive waste management.

Most importantly OBRA will help the promotion of new andimproved networking and coordination tools to improve thescientific and social activities with respect to radioactive wastemanagement and disposal.

Helping long-term decision-making

The governance of radioactive waste is a controversial issuethat needs to be fully addressed by society now and notpassed on to future generations to find a solution. The OBRAproject will help this process by defining and applying areference model in the field of governance of radioactive wastemanagement. The project will facilitate the promotion of agreater role for citizens at a variety of different territorial levels(local, regional, national etc.) of governance by improving theknowledge base for all stakeholders and, in particular, forregional and local communities. The creation of a networkconsisting of local and regional communities, implementerstogether with qualified researchers from universities will assistthis process and will include the provision of active andappropriate training.

Overall OBRA will work to maximize the value obtained fromthe output from many existing governance initiatives. Thework will increase Europe’s competitiveness in radioactivewaste management by leading a programme for networkingin social and technical sciences and stimulating furthercollaborations between different stakeholders in the field.

Local and regional communities often lack access to anauthoritative yet independent platform of expertise that canhelp address their concerns and information needs in asystematic way. By providing these important stakeholderswith a sufficient knowledge base, OBRA will enable them toparticipate in sound decision-making for the long-termsolution of radioactive governance issues.

Public events

Public events will be publicised at the project website:www.obraproject.eu.

CoordinatorMeritxell MartellEnviros Spain S.L.Passeig de Rubí 29-31 E-08197 Valldoreix, BarcelonaTel. (34) 935 83 05 00Fax (34) 935 89 00 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Coordination ActionProject start date: 01/11/20006Duration: 24 monthsTotal budget: EUR 320 748 EC contribution: EUR 299 908

EC Project Officer: Christophe DaviesEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/61B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 16 70Fax (32-2) 295 49 91E-mail: [email protected]

Partners ITC School of Underground Waste Storage and Disposal, CHPosiva Oy, FIAgency for Radwaste Management, SIRadioactive Waste Repository Authority, CZGroup of European Municipalities with Nuclear Facilities, ESOeko-Insitute.V., DEEmpresa Nacional de Residuos Radioactivos S.A., ESLund University, SEKungliga Tekniska Högskolan, SE


The main objective of the Integrated

Project PAMINA is to improve and

harmonise integrated perfor-

mance assessment (PA) methodologies and

tools for various disposal concepts for long-lived

radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel in

different deep geological environments.

Comprehensive overview

Starting from a comprehensive overview of PA methodolo-gies, tools and experiences, the PAMINA project is investigating, evaluating or developing new methodo logical advancements for PA studies. This will include a frameworkfor treating and managing uncertainty during PA and safetycase development. It will also look at improvements formethods and tools regarding process understanding andconceptualisation and evaluate the needs for implementingmore sophisticated modelling approaches in PA.

The PAMINA Integrated Project brings together organisa-tions from the major radioactive waste producing countrieswithin the European Union in order to improve and harmonise methodologies and tools for demonstrating thesafety of deep geological disposal of long-lived radioactivewaste and spent nuclear fuel in different deep geological environments. The consortium of 26 partners includes national waste management organisations, a regulator, several technical safety organisations (TSO) that closely support regulators, universities and research organisationsand two SMEs. From their different roles within their respective national radioactive waste programmes, the participants bring in complementary viewpoints and experiences to the project, which will allow exploitation ofthe project results by both national waste management organisations and regulators alike.

Sound methodology

PAMINA aims to provide a sound methodological and scientific basis for demonstrating the safety of deep geological disposal. This basis will be of value to all nationalradioactive waste management programmes, regardless ofwaste type, repository design, and stage that has been

30

reached in individual PA and safety case development. Theresults may be exploited by different stakeholders such asnational waste management organisations, regulators andthe public at large.

The comprehensive overview of PA methodologies, toolsand experiences will help to develop a common under-standing that will include terminology, accounted featuresand processes as well as codes and models used. From thismethodological advancements will be investigated, evaluated or developed, including a framework for treatingand managing uncertainty during PA and safety case development, various aspects of scenario developmentsfor different host rocks, improvements for methods andtools regarding process understanding and concept -ualization and the use of indicators for assessing the repository system or subsystems at various timescales.

Handbook for harmonised PA

A handbook describing the state of the art of safety assessment methods will be prepared. This will include theexperiences of organisations directly involved in preparingsafety assessments as well as of regulators and other organisations using such results. The topical work undertaken within PAMINA will bring a substantial degreeof innovation in many areas including the understanding ofhow uncertainties are treated, better understanding in theuse of safety indicators and time scales and comparison ofexperiences with stylised human intrusion scenarios. Understanding of gas migration scenarios will be improvedand the relevance of more complex code solutions

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES IN APPLICATION TO GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAFETY CASE

HARMONISING PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

PAM

INA


Participants of the PAMINA kick-off meeting in October 2006 in Brussels

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I N F O R M A T I O N investigated. The framework in which PA studies are presented will be analysed and conclusions for future safetycases produced.

Increasing confidence and acceptance

The comprehensive set of arguments and analyses that arerepresented in a safety case are needed to justify the geological disposal of long-lived radioactive waste andspent nuclear fuel as a safe and reliable solution for nuclearwaste. Notable differences in methodologies used to setup safety cases exist in the European Member States. This isdue to country-specific regulation as well as to different geological boundary conditions and technical frameworks.The differences range from terminology over accountedfeatures and processes to methodological assessment approaches and the codes and models that are used.

Although PAMINA does not plan to develop national and nternational standards, the outcomes of the project aim topromote a common understanding of the techniques andmethods for performance assessment and the develop-ment of a safety case. These results will be of direct relevanceto radioactive waste management programmes. The resultscan be exploited on a national level by both waste management organisations and regulators alike. A moreharmonized strategy towards performance assessmentmethods and safety case development may lead to a higherconfidence in the approaches by the public and thereforecan foster greater public acceptance.

CoordinatorJ. MönigGesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbHTheodor-Heuss-Str.4D-38122 Braunschweigwww.ip-pamina.eu

Project detailsProject type: Integrated ProjectProject start date: 01/10/2006Duration: 36 monthsTotal budget: EUR 7 617 169EC contribution: EUR 3 998 533

EC Project Officer: Tom McMenaminEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/58B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 02 77Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

Partners Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radioactivos S.A., ES Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs, FR Commissariat à l’énergie atomique, FR Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire, FR ONDRAF/NIRAS, BE Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie – Centre d'étude de l'énergie nucléaire, BE United Kingdom Nirex Limited, UK Nuclear Research & Consultancy Group, NL European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Energy, NL Nuclear Research Institute Řež plc., CZ Nationale Genossenschaft für die Lagerung radioaktiver Abfälle, CH Posiva Oy, FI Technical Research Centre of Finland, FI Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, DE DBE Technology GmbH, DE Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, DE Galson Sciences Limited, UK Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, FR Universidade da Coruña, ES Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, ES Enviros, ES Association Vinçotte Nucléaire/Associatie Vinçotte Nucleair, BE Facilia, SE Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SE Colenco Power Engineering Ltd, CH


SAPIERR-II builds on the feasibility

studies produced in the previous

SAPIERR-II project to develop

practical implementation strategies and

organisational structures for regional waste

repositories in Europe. These will enable a

formalised, structured European Development

Organisation (EDO) to be established in 2008 or

soon afterwards to work on shared EU

radioactive waste storage and disposal

activities. This EDO can work in parallel with

national waste programmes. Participating EU

Member States will be able to use the structures

developed as, when and if needed for the

furtherance of their individual national policies.

Consensus on the way forward

This project promotes and supports the networking andcoordination of activities on shared EU radioactive wastestorage and disposal by developing options for organisationalframeworks and project plans that could lead to theestablishment of a European Development Organisation(EDO). To clarify issues related to the structure and futureprogramme of the potential EDO, a series of specific studieswill be carried out on organisational structures, legal liabilities,economics, safety and security and public and politicalacceptability. The options distilled from these studies will bepresented and discussed at a workshop for interestedcountries and organisations to identify potential end-usersand to achieve consensus on a preferred way forward: the firststeps of implementation or a further programme ofpreparatory work.

The formal partners in the SAPIERR-II project are ARAO ofSlovenia, Arius of Switzerland, COVRA of the Netherlands,Decom of Slovakia, ENEA of Italy, Enviros of Spain, RATA ofLithuania and SAM of the UK, but organisations from otherEuropean countries have been invited to participate in anassociated working group. Through its partners and the

32

invited organisations the project has access to national dataand also to experienced European expert organisations.

Studies on strategy, structure

The main activities within the project include the preparationof a management study on the legal and business options forestablishing an EDO. A study on the legal liability issues ofinternational radioactive waste transfer within Europe willalso be undertaken and the potential economic implicationsof European regional repositories evaluated. Initialconsiderations of the safety and security impacts ofimplementing regional repositories will be assessed and asurvey of public and political attitudes towards regionalrepositories and of approaches to involving communities indecision making will be commissioned.

All these activities will feed into the development of a strategyand project plan for the work of the EDO. The immediate tasksare agreeing a progressive, staged strategy that would leadin subsequent phases to the definition of potential hostcountries and eventually to potential repository sites. Aparallel science and technology programme that could beaddressed by the EDO after its initiation will also be defined.

Options for the future

By the end of this project, the SAPIERR-II shared storage anddisposal concept will have been developed to a level whereeither future work could be handed over to the proposedmultinational EDO, thus establishing a firm basis for progress,or the content and timing have been defined for furtheractions required before an EDO can be established. A thirdpossible outcome is that the participants conclude thatfurther efforts in this area are not productive at this time.

STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTATIONOF EUROPEAN REGIONAL REPOSITORIES: STAGE II

A SHARED SOLUTION TO WASTE?

SAPI

ERR-

II


Attendees at SAPIERR-II inaugural meeting in Switzerland

© S

APIER

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I N F O R M A T I O NA shared, safer solution

SAPIERR-II and its predecessor project have no equivalentin the field of radioactive waste disposal. Currently virtuallyall EU countries, even those with very small nuclearprogrammes, are under pressure to follow purely nationalprogrammes, even though the Commission and theEuropean Parliament have supported the concept ofregional facilities. In addition the potential contribution ofregional facilities to increasing safety, security andeconomics of disposal are ever more acknowledged byvarious international organisations and also by somenational disposal programmes even if they themselves donot wish to participate in such facilities. Any of the three ofthe potential outcomes of the project will have a significantimpact on subsequent European work on waste disposaland hence on public attitudes to nuclear power. If an EDOwere to be established soon, then intensive co-operationleading to significant cost reductions could result. If furtherstudy is needed this will also be achieved through co-operation between countries. If it is decided that regionalrepositories are not realistic, pressure will increase on thesmaller Member States to initiate or build up their ownnational disposal programmes.

The project can also promote the harmonisation ofstandards governing the implementation of geologicalrepositories and other facilities. A regional facility will haveto satisfy the safety standards not only of its host country,but also of all of its user countries.

Public events

The results of SAPIERR-II activities will be presented atspecial workshops, included in conference contributionsand published in the open literature.

CoordinatorE. VerhoefCOVRA N.V.Spanjeweg 14455 TW NieuwdorpNederland Tel. (31-11) 361 66 70Fax (31-11) 361 66 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Coordination ActionProject start date: 01/11/07Duration: 24 monthsTotal budget: EUR 935 130EC contribution EUR 699 930


Partners COVRA, NLARAO, SIARIUS, CHDecom, SLENEA, ITEnviros, UK and ESRATA, LTSAM, UK


Attendees at SAPIERR II inaugural meeting in Switzerland

© R

II

Nuclear power plants, which

currently produce over 30 % of the

electricity in EU countries, create

radioactive waste in the form of spent fuel and

other radiotoxic materials. This waste is

hazardous, and consequently must be isolated

from the biosphere for many centuries. Most

European countries are committed to building

deep underground repositories for this waste.

According to the concept of underground

geological disposal, the spent fuel is first

encapsulated in metal canisters, which are then

emplaced in underground repositories. In order

to properly design these repositories and

monitor their behaviour, it is necessary to

develop highly specialised and sophisticated

computer codes that can model the complex

coupled thermal, hydrological, mechanical and

chemical processes that will occur within and

around these repositories.

Evaluating the models

The main aim of this project is to develop a scientificmethodology for evaluating the capabilities of themathematical models and computer codes that have beendeveloped to aid in the design, construction, operation, andpost-closure monitoring of underground nuclear wasterepositories. The project will focus on processes occurring inthe rock mass around the canisters, and in the ‘buffer’material that is placed within the space between thecanisters and the host rock.

Two types of potential host rocks will be studied: salt andcrystalline rocks (such as granite). The processes that mustbe accounted for and modelled in these computer codesinclude the flow of groundwater, the transport of dissolvedradionuclides in that groundwater, and chemical reactions

34

between the heated groundwater and the rock. This projectbrings together sixteen universities, research organisations,nuclear waste organisations, and nuclear waste regulatoryagencies, from seven countries, each with extensiveexperience in modelling the behaviour of nuclear wasterepositories.

Testing the code – in theory and practice

The project will focus on the evaluation of the capabilitiesof computer codes to simulate the coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical processes that occur inthe vicinity of spent fuel canisters in undergroundradioactive waste repositories. The participating teams’ owncodes and approaches will be evaluated in terms of systemcharacterisation, conceptualisation, and parameterisation.In addition their flexibility in handling realistic in-situgeological conditions, their abilities to treat uncertainties,and their numerical accuracy will be assessed.

The evaluation of the codes and methodologies will beorganised around numerical simulations of small-to-medium scale laboratory tests, specially defined genericbenchmark tests, and large-scale in-situ experimentsconducted at the prototype underground repositorysituated in Äspö, Sweden. This facility is a fully functioningmodel repository based on Swedish proposals for wastedisposal that can be used as a benchmark for other nationalproposals.

COUPLED THERMAL-HYDROLOGICAL-MECHANICAL-CHEMICAL (THMC) PROCESSES FOR APPLICATION IN REPOSITORY SAFETY ASSESSMENT

COMPREHENSIVE MODELLING OF WASTE BEHAVIOUR

THER

ESA


Schematic diagram of the underground geological repository concept

© SK

B (S

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I N F O R M A T I O NMethodology for long-term disposal

This project will yield a common European procedure forauditing the capabilities of mathematical codes for theevaluation and demonstration of the long-term safety ofnuclear waste repositories. This exercise represents, for the firsttime, a coherent and logical pan-European effort, based onsound scientific principles, to assess and audit the ability ofcomputer codes to properly simulate these complex andmultiply coupled processes that are of crucial relevance to the successful underground disposal of high-levelradioactive waste.

Ensuring safety underground

The outcome of this project will be a set of computer codesthat have been verified as being capable of providing accuratepredictions of the performance of underground radioactivewaste repositories. This will aid in the design of repositoriesthat will be capable of isolating harmful radioactive wastesfrom the biosphere.

Such repositories represent a potential solution for the long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste. They have beendeveloped and their components tested over many years ofresearch. They represent the best technical solution that iscurrently available for waste disposal. Disposal of radioactivewaste is a significant issue for society no matter what thefuture for nuclear power – and it is an issue that society needsto tackle in a responsible and unified manner in the presentera rather than hand it on to be solved by future generations.

CoordinatorRobert ZimmermanDivision of Engineering GeologyRoyal Institute of TechnologyS-100 44 StockholmTel. (46-8) 79 07 906Fax (46-8)79 06 [email protected]



Partners Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SESwedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, SEFederal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, DEGesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit mbH, DENuclear Research and Consultancy Group, NLDBE Technology GmbH, DEInstitut für Gebirgsmechanik GmbH, DEForschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, DETechnische Universität Clausthal, DECentre International de Métodes Numèrics en Enginyeria, ESCardiff University, UKPosiva Oy, FIMarintel Ky, FIQuintessa Limited, UKInstitut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire, FR


SKB’s underground research laboratory at Äspö, Sweden. PrototypeRepository Experiment is located at the centre of the right edge of the picture

© SK

B (S

E)

The management of spent

nuclear fuel and other long-lived

radio active waste is an important

environmental issue today. Disposal in deep clay

geological formations is one of the promising

options to dispose of this waste. An important

item for the long-term safety of underground

disposal is the assessment of the extent of the da-

maged zone induced by both the excavation

process and the thermal impact of the repository.

Combined effects

The TIMODAZ project will study the thermo-hydro-mechanical and chemical (THMC) processes that occuraround an underground repository. It focuses on the studyof the combined effect of the excavation damaged zone(EDZ) and the thermal impact on the repository host rock.The knowledge gained will allow an assessment of thesignificance of the damaged zone (DZ) in the safety case fordisposal in clay host rock and provide direct feedback torepository design teams.

The TIMODAZ consortium is composed of a strongmultidisciplinary team involving both radioactive wastemanagement organisations together with nuclear researchinstitutes and supported by universities, industrial partnersand consultancy companies.

Evaluating the damaged zone

An important item for the long-term safety of undergrounddisposal is the proper evaluation of the damaged zone inthe clay host rock. The DZ is defined here as the zone of hostrock that experiences THMC modifications induced by therepository, with potential major changes in the transportproperties for radionuclides. These changes in transportparameters include the permeability of the clay, the slowdiffusive transport combined with an absence ofpreferential migration pathways for solutes and somesealing capacity.

36

The DZ is first initiated during the repository construction.Its behaviour is dynamic, dependent on changingconditions that vary from an open-drift period, to initialclosure period and to the entire heating-cooling cycle ofthe decaying waste. The early THMC disturbances createdby the excavation, the operational phase and the thermalload might be the most severe transient that the repositorywill undergo on the spatial scale and it happens in arelatively short period of time. Consequently the projectpriorities are to study the combined effect of the EDZ andthe thermal impact on the host rocks around a radioactivewaste disposal.

Laboratory tests and expert modelling

In order to strengthen our knowledge of fracturing and thesealing processes under evolving thermal conditions,specific laboratory tests will be performed. In particular, theeffects of temperature on damaged clay as well as on clayproperties will be investigated including the possibility ofirreversible damage. The tests include the study ofsaturation processes at ambient and higher temperatures.Transmission/emission tomography will study hetero -geneities in the clay and the evolution of fractures, densityand water content of samples during temperature-controlled geomechanical tests. Some tests will becomplemented with a radionuclide migration test, in orderto evaluate any possible preferential migration along thesealed fracture and a variety of different chemicalconditions will be considered. Mineralogical analyses willbe performed and linked to the hydromechanicalobservations. These test results will feed the numericalmodels to be used.

Results from other THM in-situ tests are available for theproject. An additional small-scale in-situ THM test will beconducted at Mont Terri in Switzerland as an extension ofthe SELFRAC test. The results of these experiments willprovide the link between pure laboratory testing and fullscale tests. Different numerical codes will be evaluatedthrough benchmark tests for modelling of THM processesin clays including sealing and chemical processes inducedby THM phenomena. The thermal impact on the stability ofthe gallery lining will also be investigated: an issue ofparticular importance for retrievability of the radioactivewaste. The modelling work together with the results of the

THERMAL IMPACT ON THE DAMAGED ZONE AROUND A RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL IN CLAY HOST ROCKS

MODELLING DAMAGE UNDERGROUND

TIM

OD

AZ


37

I N F O R M A T I O Nlaboratory and in-situ tests should give clear indication onthe evolution of the DZ with time and temperature. Animportant modelling objective will be to perform predictivesimulations of the large-scale heater experiment PRACLAY.

Better understanding, improved perceptions

Public and political perceptions of the nuclear waste issuewill play a major role in determining the future of nuclearenergy. The results of this project will contribute to a betterunderstanding of the processes occurring within the clayaround a disposal system for heat-emitting waste duringthe thermal transient phase. As this transient should spanseveral centuries, the development and testing of sound,phenomenology-based models is an essential step towardsmeeting safety case requirements.

The knowledge gained by the TIMODAZ project will helpassess the significance of the DZ in the safety case fordisposal in clay host rock and provide direct feedback torepository design teams. In order to ensure an appropriatelink between end-user needs and the project priorities anend-user group has been formed.

Public events

An international conference will be organised in early March2009.

CoordinatorFrédéric Bernier ESV Euridice GIEBoeretang 200B-2400 MolTel. (32-14) 33 27 79Fax (32-14) 32 12 [email protected]



Partners European Underground Research Infrastructure for Disposal of Nuclear Waste in ClayEnvironments, BENational Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, CHStudiecentrum voor Kernenergie/Centre d’étude d’énergie nucléaire, BEGesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit mbH, DENuclear Research and Consultancy Group, NLCentre Internacional de Méthodes Numerics en Enginyeria, ESSwiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, CHUniversité de Liège, BEUniversité Joseph Fourier – Grenoble 1, FRÉcole nationale des ponts et chaussées, FRCzech Technical University, Prague, CZItasca Consultants, S.A., FRApplied Seismology Consultant Ltd, UKITC School of Underground Storage and Disposal, CH


General design of the PRACLAY large-scale heater experiment

© ES

V Eu

ridice

GIE

(BE)

Research and development for

future nuclear power reactors is a

large-scale European activity.

Such novel reactors could potentially use

resources more efficiently, produce less waste

and possibly even reuse the waste of present

reactors as fuel. The successful development

of these novel reactors relies on high-quality

nuclear data, i.e. accurate information about

the nuclear reactions taking place in such

reactors. The CANDIDE project concerns nu -

clear data for future reactors.

Cost-effective and clean

The primary importance of nuclear data is in reducing thecost of nuclear power plant operation. With precise nucleardata, future reactors can be designed to reach even highersafety standards in a cost-effective manner. The CANDIDEproject team is composed of key actors in the field, rangingfrom industry to academia and research centres. Theindustry partners define the needs from an end-userperspective, and their participation guarantees that thework is application-oriented. The role of the non-industrypartners is to assess the possibilities of providing data ofsufficient quality to meet the application needs. The projectinvolves reactor manufacturers (AREVA, France), electricityutilities (EDF, France, and TVO, Finland), nuclear fuelproducers (BNFL/Nexia, UK) as well as universities (Uppsala,Sweden and Budapest, Hungary) and research centres andtechnical support organizations (CEA, France, JRC-IRMM, the EC, NRG, the Netherlands, NRI, the Czech Republic,SCK•CEN, Belgium, CIEMAT, Spain, and ITN, Portugal).

Data assessment, recommendations

The major scientific endeavour of the project is to assess thepresent state-of-the-art of relevant nuclear data and toidentify important areas where improvements can be made.In particular, estimates will be made of the accuracy of datathat might be achievable in the future. The types of data to

38

be considered will include data that is relevant totransmutation processes in critical reactors, for examplesome of the concepts under consideration for Generation-IV reactors, as well as for sub-critical transmutation reactorsin accelerator driven systems.

Nuclear data needs will be assessed, the performance of current nuclear data libraries measured and thecompetences and practices used in current nuclear dataproduction examined.

The final outcome of the project will be a report providingrecommendations for future research in this field.Moreover, training and networking is also an importantaspect of the project. A course for young professionals inthe industry and two open workshops will be organized aspart of the project. Efficient dissemination of results isguaranteed by close contacts with the International AtomicEnergy Agency (IAEA) and Organisation for EconomicCooperation and Development, Nuclear Energy Agency(OECD-NEA) databanks.

Report, recommendations and training

The result of the CANDIDE project will be a comprehensivescientific document that describes the present state ofknowledge with respect to nuclear data. The report will alsopresent a number of recommendations for future research.In addition, a training course for young professionals in thenuclear industry will be developed.

Less waste, greater efficiency

As mentioned above, the main importance of nuclear datais to assist in ensuring cost-effectiveness. With precisenuclear data, future reactors can be designed to reach highsafety standards in a cost-effective manner. This in turnimplies, however, a number of benefits that can directlyimpact on society. With more efficient use of the fuel innuclear power reactors, lower amounts of raw material areneeded to produce the same amount of electricity, therebyreducing the need for uranium mining. In addition, ofparticular importance for the CANDIDE project, the use ofimproved nuclear data can reduce the amount ofradioactive waste produced per unit of electricity. This willfurther reduce the potential environmental impact on the“back-end” of the nuclear fuel cycle.

COORDINATION ACTION ON NUCLEAR DATA FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN EUROPE

NEW DATA FOR CLEANER POWER

CAN

DID

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39

I N F O R M A T I O NOf key importance for the CANDIDE project is its aim todefine critical nuclear data for the development of reactorswith closed fuel cycles. These are reactors concepts thatconsume their own long-lived radioactive waste, and maybe capable of incinerating the waste produced by otherreactors as well.

Public events

A course for young professionals in the industry and twoopen workshops will be organised as part of the project.Although these activities are primarily targeting pro -fessionals, the public is welcome to attend them.

CoordinatorJan BlomgrenUppsala UniversityINFBox 525S-75 120 UppsalaTel. (46-1) 84 71 37 88Fax (46-1) 84 71 38 [email protected]/candide


EC Project Officer: Ved BhatnagarEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/46B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 299 58 96Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

PartnersCommissariat à l’énergie atomique, FRJoint Research Centre – Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, BENuclear Research and consultancy Group, NLBudapest University of Technology and Economics, HUTeollisuuden Voima Oy, FINuclear Research Institute Řež, CZStudiecentrum voor Kernenergie – Centre d’étude de l’énergie nucléaire, BECentro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, ESAREVA NP SAS, FRNexia Solutions, UKÉlectricité de France, FRInstituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, PT

MANAGEMENT OF RADIOAC TIVE WASTEPartitioning and transmutation

The EFNUDAT project is a consor-

tium of ten European institutions

offering diverse research infrastruc-

tures for differential neutron data measurements.

The objective of the project is to integrate all the

scientific and technical efforts needed for high

quality nuclear data measurements. Such

measurements are required to support high-level

radioactive waste transmutation studies and

design studies for future generation IV nuclear

reactor systems that aim to produce significantly

less radioactive waste during operation.

Nuclear measurement, integrated expertise

The aim of EFNUDAT is to integrate all infrastructure-relatedaspects of nuclear data measurements across Europe and toprovide access for external users to the participating facilities. The project is an Integrated Infrastructure Initiativewith ten major European nuclear research institutions fromFrance, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Switzerlandand the Czech Republic comprising the EFNUDAT consortium. The project’s main objective is to promote thecoherent use and integration of the infrastructure-relatedservices of its partners via networking and transnationalaccess. These services encompass both the facilities themselves and joint research activities.

Quality infrastructure access

The most important goal of the EFNUDAT consortium is toincrease the quality and the quantity of access to the relevant nuclear data facilities that are involved in the consortium. To achieve this, EFNUDAT is structured as a consistent and complementary ensemble of 15 activities.

These activities include three networking activities that aredesigned to optimise the use of the consortium facilities fornuclear data measurements as well as the analysis and dissemination of results. In addition, nine transnational access activities will procure approximately 4000 additionalbeam hours within the various facilities for external users to

40

carry out nuclear data measurements. Finally, three joint research activities will be used to raise the performance ofthe facilities and the efficiency of their use.

The final goal of all these networking activities is tostrengthen Europe’s excellence in the nuclear data domainand to guarantee its future. In particular, they will focus theservices that are provided by the experimental facilities ina direction that is vital for the design studies required for radioactive waste transmutation and for generation IV future nuclear reactor systems. The combination of thethree types of activities will validate the importance of thedifferent facilities and create a stable ‘customer base’ fortheir future use in the field of nuclear data measurements.A website will be established to help the rapid transfer ofknowledge within and beyond the partnership.

EFNUDAT should not be seen as a stand-alone project, butas part of the coherent package of projects on nuclearwaste treatment within Euratom FP6 and previous framework programmes. The networking activities withinEFNUDAT will promote information exchange and search for synergies with other related FP6 projects, such as EUROTRANS and CANDIDE.

Solid partnership for improved coordination

EFNUDAT will build a solid partnership between the variousexperimental facilities and between the facilities and theirstakeholders. All relevant experimental facilities in Europeare involved. Because the infrastructures and user groupshave an envisaged lifetime far beyond the duration of theproject, the partnership will have a long-term impact. A large part of EFNUDAT resources will be used to trigger orimprove collaboration, exchange of ideas and mobility of researchers. This will have positive effects that are also expected to last much longer than the project itself: for example a common system for coordination of experimentsand promoting access to infrastructures.

The essence of the work performed within EFNUDAT is toimprove the coordination between experimental facilities inEurope that will provoke a better response to the measurement needs addressed by nuclear data users. The most urgent data needs are collated in the ‘High Priority List’ maintained by the Organisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency(NEA). Therefore, close cooperation with the NEA Data Bankand the Nuclear Data Centre (NDC) of the International

EUROPEAN FACILITIES FOR NUCLEAR DATA MEASUREMENTS

AN INTEGRATED NETWORK FOR NEUTRON DATAEF

NU

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41

I N F O R M A T I O NAtomic Energy Agency will be established. This cooperationwill be ensured by inviting representatives from differentcentres or evaluated data file projects (especially from theEuropean fission and fusion file project, JEFF) into the project. All data measured with support from the EFNUDATproject will be submitted to the EXFOR database of the NEA databank.

Quality data for future safer systems

Global climate change and greater demand for energy haveincreased interest in nuclear energy. EFNUDAT aims at pro-viding high quality and new nuclear data which are impor-tant for future nuclear systems design that will improvelong-term public safety by reducing the radiotoxicity of thenuclear waste produced.

Public events

The kick-off meeting of EFNUDAT was held in January 2007at FZK Karlsruhe. Further information about any other pub-lic event will be given via the EFNUDAT website (see box).

CoordinatorGérard BarreauCNRS-CEN Bordeaux GradignanF-33175 GradignanTel. (33) 5 57 12 08 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Integrated Infrastructure InitiativeProject start date: 01/11/2006Duration: 48 monthsTotal budget: EUR 3 033 000EC Contribution: EUR 2 400 000


Partners European Commission, Joint Research Centre, BEIsotopkutato Intezet – Magyar Tudomanyos Akademia , Konkaly Thege, HUForschungszentrum Karlsruhe Gmbh, DEForschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, DE Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, DEUppsala Universitet, SECommissariat à l’énergie atomique, FREuropean Organisation for Nuclear Research, CHNuclear Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, CZ


The EFNUDAT consortium

The LWR-DEPUTY initiative is part of

a portfolio of projects devoted to

decrease the burden of nuclear

waste. It will study in an experimental way the

development, behaviour and in-pile per -

formance of novel fuels for deep burning of

plutonium in existing nuclear power plants

(NPPs). The project will also evaluate to what

extent existing NPPs in Europe can create less

nuclear waste by moving to inert matrix fuels.

Experiment and theory

LWR-DEPUTY intends to build upon the experience gainedin a number of FP5 projects on advanced nuclear fuel. Theproject is active on two experimental axes as well as across-cutting theoretical activity. It will fabricate and irradiate four "ceramic-in-metal" (CERMET) plutoniumoxide (PuO2) containing fuel pins in a materials test reactor. In addition, thorium-based fuels that have beensuccessfully irradiated in earlier projects will be subject toin-depth post-irradiation examination, radiochemical andback-end studies of the fuel cycle.

Using these results an assessment will be made of theefforts needed to introduce novel fuel concepts into existing NPPs. Performance and safety assessment of thorium based fuels will be undertaken and numerical simulation benchmarking performed using experimentaldata from radiochemical analysis of the fuels.

The LWR-DEPUTY consortium has expertise (programmingcodes, knowledge and know-how) and resources (inclu -ding fuel fabrication facilities, a materials test reactor, ded-icated laboratories to handle irradiated material) tosuccessfully complete the project.

Innovative fuels

The general goal of LWR-DEPUTY is to push forward the introduction of innovative fuel cycles in existing light-water reactors (LWRs) that are dedicated to the manage-

42

ment and nuclear burning of plutonium and able toreduce the production of minor actinides during use.

This will be achieved by demonstrating the fabrication oftwo metal-based inert matrix fuels and their compliancewith LWR-operational environments. A data package onthe nature of the critical radionuclides in irradiated thorium-based mixed oxide (Th-MOX) fuel will be established and a further data package will be generatedto serve as the starting point for regulatory licensing procedures for inert matrix fuels in LWR fuel cycles.

Screening and simulation

Several candidate reprocessable CERMET fuels will be irradiated in conditions compatible with LWR conditions.The metallic matrices to be used are of two types: two ferritic (iron-chromium) matrices, and two molybdenummatrices (preferably using depleted molybdenum). For each fuel type, plutonium oxide will be inserted as large and small precipitates, this microstructure difference allowing the examination of the stability of thefuel under irradiation.

Following a screening irradiation under LWR conditions ofpressure, temperature and water chemistry intermediateexaminations will study the performance of the fuel segments, in particular their mechanical stability. Final destructive examination of the fuels will be carriedout later.

An experimental database using the results of the post-irradiation analyses will be used to form the basis forthe definition of a benchmarking exercise. The focus willbe on the actinide inventory of plutonium-loaded, thorium-based fuel. This will allow fuel modellers to test,validate and compare different numerical simulation codeapplications. A comparison of theoretical with experimen-tal data should lead to a better understanding of the burn-up behaviour of these oxide fuels in LWRs. Suchknowledge underpins the in-reactor fuel performance ofthese fuels and has an impact on related aspects includingburn-up behaviour and safety issues.

The introduction of innovative fuels in NPPs requiresdetailed feasibility studies and reliable methodologies fortheir introduction into reactor cores. Preliminary numerical analyses in this field, performed under a

LIGHT-WATER REACTOR FUELS FOR DEEP BURNING OF Pu IN THERMAL SYSTEMS

NEW FUELS FOR LESS WASTELW

R-D

EPU

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I N F O R M A T I O Nnumber of FP5 projects, show promising safety featuresand transmutation-performance of novel fuels. Many out-standing issues related to reactor safety, burn-up behav-iour and fuel performance under operating conditions willbe dealt with in this project. The accuracy of numericalanalyses and methods will be proved by simulation of irra-diation experiments and benchmarking, basing on theresults from post-irradiation examinations and radiochem-ical analyses.

Burning waste and plutonium

LWR-DEPUTY builds on research performed in FP5 and willensure continuity and build strong European competencein this area of nuclear science and technology essential forcurrent safety and future energy supply concerns. The project could offer a method to reduce nuclear waste pro-duction in current nuclear power plants with clear benefitsfor society.

The LWR-DEPUTY contributes to the construction of aEuropean research area in nuclear science. The involve-ment of training activities within LWR-DEPUTY is also an important contribution to the continuity of nuclear activities in Europe.

CoordinatorMarc VerwerftSCK•CENFMA/NMSBoeretang 200B-2400 MolTel. (32-14) 33 30 48Fax (32-14) 32 12 [email protected]/LWRDEPUTY



Partners FZ-Jülich, DEFZ-Karlsruhe, DEFZ-Rossendorf, DEJoint Research Centre (Institute for Transuranium Elements), EUNexia Solutions, UKNuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG), NLPaul Scherrer Institute, CHVUJE Inc., SK


Th e N U DA M E p ro j e c t i s a

transnational access programme

based at the Joint Research

Centre – Institute for Reference Materials and

Measurements (JRC-IRMM) at Geel in Belgium.

The project has facilitated access for outside

research teams across Europe to the services

and equipment of the Neutron Physics Unit,

promoted the coherent use of this high-quality

measurement infrastructure in order to meet

their neutron data requests and generated

some exciting new science.

3000 beam hours

JRC-IRMM is equipped with a unique scientific infrastructurefor highly accurate neutron cross-section measurements attwo accelerator facilities. With the support of Euratom FP6JRC-IRMM had opened these world-class scientific tools tothe wider academic world by offering a total of 3000supplementary data acquisition hours to external users overa three-year period.

In response, over 22 experiments were proposed byexternal users with a total beam time request that exceededthe available time by around 2.5 times. The programmeadvisory committee established under NUDAME approved18 of the proposed experiments but all were allocated a much reduced beam time. Some 94 % of the supportedscientists were making use of the JRC-IRMM facility for thefirst time.

Unique scientific tools

Proposals for experiments were submitted and evaluatedby the NUDAME Programme Advisory Committee for threeexperimental periods: September 2005 to March 2006; April2006 to March 2007; and April 2007 to March 2008. Thetypical duration of each experiment was two weeks duringwhich the external scientific users could make use of themeasurement infrastructure at JRC-IRMM and weresupported by a local contact person.

44

The JRC-IRMM has a unique scientific infrastructure foraccurate neutron data measurements. Two instruments areof particular interest. GELINA is a 150 MeV electronaccelerator that serves as a strong ‘white’ neutron sourcefor high resolution time-of-flight measurements. Thisfacility covers the energy range up to 20 MeV with anunsurpassed time resolution of less than one nanosecond.GELINA serves an array of neutron flight paths up to 400metres long and can handle as many as 12 simultaneousexperiments. The 7 MV Van de Graaff facility is anelectrostatic accelerator that can produce continuous orpulsed proton, deuteron and helium ion beams. Six beamlines and experimental set-ups are available and quasimono-energetic neutrons in the energy region 0-24 MeVcan be produced for experimental analysis.

After execution of the experiments, the data are analysedby the participating scientists at their home institutions. All experiments and results will be published in the open literature.

A wide range of experiments

A number of different experiments have been executed,ranging from high-resolution measurements at the GELINAtime-of-flight facility to activation measurements, neutronflux measurements, detector calibration, and fissionmeasurements at the Van de Graaff facility.

NEUTRON DATA MEASUREMENTS AT IRMM

JRC NEUTRON FACILITIES OPEN TO ALLN

UD

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The GELINA facility, showing some of the 12 flight paths for neutrontime-of-flight measurements

© EC

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I N F O R M A T I O NTechnology-oriented investigations were also performed,such as feasibility tests for the planning of long-terminvestigations, detector calibration, leakage spectrummeasurements, or calibration of dosemeters. The scientificquality of all the proposals was high and some veryfundamental questions were addressed, which will certainlybe of interest to the nuclear data community as a whole.

Knowledge exchange with new users of the JRC-IRMMfacilities is also an important aspect of the NUDAMEprogramme and has contributed to the development andimprovement of the state-of-the-art data acquisition systemsat the facility.

Excellent support for small research groups

The majority of the experimental proposals came from smallEuropean research groups. The approved 18 experiments wereproposed by 96 researchers from 22 European institutions andmost of the applicants were first-time users of the respectivefacility at JRC-IRMM. The chosen experiments addressed awide area of research from fundamental scientific topics innuclear physics to specific technical aspects of advanced novelmeasurement techniques.

The large amount of beam time requested was a clearevidence for the usefulness of this support programme toenable small research groups to use the specialised facilities ofJRC-IRMM. In addition, the project promotes the awareness forthe work programme of the European Commission in thenuclear field throughout the academic and wider world.

Public events

A user workshop will be organised at JRC-IRMM in early 2008.

CoordinatorPeter RullhusenEC-DG JRC-IRMMRetieseweg 111B-2440 GeelTel. (32-14) 57 14 76Fax (32-14) 57 18 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Transnational Access to Large InfrastructuresProject start date: 01/04/2005Duration: 36 monthsTotal budget: EUR 264 580EC contribution: EUR 264 580



Beam lines for measurements with quasi-monoenergetic neutrons at the Van de Graaff facility

© EC

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The objectives of the PATEROS

Coordination Action are to deliver a

European vision for the deployment

of partitioning and transmutation technology

up to the pilot plant scale for all the components

of this high-level radioactive waste minimisation

process.

A European waste vision

Partitioning and transmutation (P&T) technologies cover apromising process for the separation (partitioning) of themost radiotoxic elements in high-level nuclear waste andspent fuel and the nuclear transformation (transmutation)of these long-lived elements to other elemental isotopesthat are less radiotoxic and/or with much shorterradioactive half lives. A successful process couldsignificantly reduce the time that radioactive waste remainshazardous.

The PATEROS coordination action involves 17 partners from11 European countries. Within the consortium are researchcentres, universities and industrial partners. The ambitionof the consortium is to build on what has been alreadyaccomplished to present a holistic vision of the deploymentof P&T technology in Europe up to pilot plant scale. Inputsto the project will include studies from FP5 and the first andsecond calls of FP6 as well as the outcomes of nationalprogrammes throughout Europe, in the USA, Japan andKorea and by international organisations such as OECD’sNuclear Energy Agency and the International AtomicEnergy Agency. This coordination action will work closelywith the SNF-TP (Sustainable Nuclear Fission TechnologyPlatform) coordination action.

The rationale for value-added P&T

The project will analyse the rationale and added value ofP&T for waste management policies in various EU memberstates. Acting like a ‘think tank’, all the partners representedwill deliver input data on waste inventory, number andcapacity of the corresponding projected P&T facilitiesneeded at the industrial scale. This data will be reviewedand the relevant and most promising national fuel cycle

46

strategies in Europe will be selected. The analysis will besupplemented by pertinent regional context to define therequired waste installations, milestones and developments.This regional approach is the most appealing from thetechnical point of view in order to accommodate varyingnational positions towards nuclear energy as well as fromthe proliferation resistance and the economical feasibilitypoint of views.

Research needs and related timescales for the developmentof high-efficiency pilot-scale equipment and processes willbe determined covering both aqueous and pyro-reprocessing technologies. In parallel the content andtimescale for research related to fabrication oftransmutation fuels up to pilot-scale operation will beconsidered and the demonstration of their ability to beappropriately licensed examined.

Further definition of the key research and technologicalfacilities, in particular irradiation facilities, required for thedemonstration of high level waste transmutation beforethe final industrial transmutation facility can be consideredat industrial scale will be determined. These may rangefrom thermal to fast neutron spectrum and from critical tosub-critical reactor systems including coolant technologydemonstration facilities.

What, where and when

All the findings of the various project components will beintegrated and the required resources evaluated for thetime span leading up to the industrial deployment of P&Twith an indication of the critical milestones to be passed onthe way. A final report will contain information on theanticipated waste flow that should be channelled to theP&T facilities, the number and capacities of projectedfacilities at industrial scale, the R&D fuel cycle facilitiesrequired, and the transmutation and associated tech -nologies described in terms of a time schedule fordeployment at the European scale.

Formal information exchange with the parallel SNF-TPproject is envisaged at two main milestones (12 and 18months from kick-off ) to provide the basis for furtheriteration with the objective to eventually merge PATEROSinto the SNF Technology Platform.

PARTITIONING AND TRANSMUTATION EUROPEAN ROADMAP FOR SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR ENERGY

TOWARDS A EUROPEAN P&T STRATEGY

PATE

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47

I N F O R M A T I O NSustainable, closed fuel cycle

Almost two billion people around the world have no accessto electricity and the problem will worsen as the globalpopulation continues to grow. The World Energy Councilpoints out that although global reliance on fossil fuels and large hydro will remain strong until 2020, these will notbe able to meet the world’s long-term electricity demandin a sustainable manner. As a consequence, the role ofnuclear power must be stabilised with the aim of futureexpansion.

A closed fuel cycle with a clear and agreed solution forwaste issues is a prerequisite for making nuclear energysustainable. This can be reached by deploying advancedP&T systems to reduce the burden of waste on geologicalstorage facilities. This objective is relevant to both countriescommitted to nuclear energy in the future as well as to those countries not committed to a further deployment ofnuclear energy.

CoordinatorHamid Aït AbderrahimSCK•CENBoeretang 200B-2400 MolTel. (32-14) 33 22 77Fax (32-14) 32 15 [email protected]/pateros


EC Project Officer: Ved BhatnagarEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/46B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 299 58 96 Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

Partners Ansaldo Nucleare SpA, ITCommissariat à l'énergie atomique, FRCentro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, ESCentre national de la recherche scientifique, FREnte per le nuove technologie, l'energia e l'ambiente, ITAREVA NP, FRForschungszentrum Karlrsuhe GmbH, DEEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre, BEKungliga Tekniska Högskolan, SENuclear Research & Consultancy Group, NLUstav jaderného vyzkumu ŘeŽ (Nuclear Research Institute ŘeŽ), CZPaul Scherrer Institute, CHUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid, ESInstituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, PTNexia Solutions Ltd, UKUniversity of Manchester, UK


Sustainability is a key issue in the

definition of future nuclear energy

systems in Europe. Sustainable

management of transuranium elements (TRUs)

by reducing the plutonium (Pu) and minor

actinides (MA) stockpiles in the nuclear fuel

cycle is of particular interest. The (very) high-

temperature gas-cooled reactor ((V)HTR) can be

used to incinerate Pu and MA materials due to

its unique safety features and the nature of its

coated particle fuel. The PuMA project aims to

provide key results for the utilisation and trans-

mutation of Pu and MA in (V)HTR systems as a

promising tool for the development of safe and

sustainable nuclear energy.

Burning plutonium

Previous Euratom projects have shown the favourable Puburning characteristics of thermal (V)HTRs and PuMA willfurther investigate the core physics of the process in order todemonstrate their potential as Pu/MA transmutation systems.The Pu coated fuel particle design will be optimised and thefeasibility of MA fuel fabrication and application explored.Finally, as Pu/MA transmuters will operate in a global systemof reactor designs and fuel cycle facilities, fuel cycle studiesand socio-economic/environmental assessments will becarried out. These PuMA studies represent part of the Euratomcontribution to the Generation IV International Forum (GIF).

The PuMA consortium gathers together 16 organisations fromnine countries, including research organisations, leadingnuclear engineering and fuel cycle companies, a fuelmanufacturer, a utility, universities and institutes, andconsultancy SMEs.

48

Core physics and future fuel cycles

The core physics research aims at optimising the particlefuel and reactor characteristics, and assuring the nuclearstability and safety of a Pu/MA (V)HTR core. Opportunitieswill be investigated for retrieving relevant data from pastirradiation studies on Pu HTR fuel, on which further codequalification exercises can be based.

New fuel particle designs will be explored that canwithstand very high burn-up rates and obtain optimaladaptation for disposal after irradiation. In particular,helium production in Pu- and MA-based fuel will beassessed and supported by experiment. Fuel irradiationperformance codes will permit convergence on optimiseddesign criteria.

The impact of the introduction of Pu/MA-burning (V)HTRson the fuel cycle and the future nuclear energy mix will beassessed, with a focus on fuel cycle symbiosis with futurenuclear energy systems in Europe (e.g. LWRs, fast reactorsetc.). This assessment involves the quantification of wastestreams and radiotoxic inventories as well as the technical,economic, environmental and socio-political impacts ofintroducing this technology in the future.

PuMA will also contribute to developing and maintainingcompetence in European reactor technology, in particularthrough a course held in conjunction with the RAPHAELproject.

Optimised designs for transmutation performance

Based on previous results, the core physics work in PuMAshould establish optimised Pu/MA transmutationcharacteristics in (V)HTRs. Transient analyses will seek todemonstrate the nuclear stability and safety of optimisedreactor and fuel designs. Other performance and safety-related parameters will be determined, such as the fastneutron flux in fuel particles and the level of heliumproduction as a function of Pu/MA burn-up, as well as anassessment of proliferation resistance. Relevant data fromthe British, American and Russian programmes on HTRapplications will be sought, and benchmarks set. Armedwith this information, the PuMA project will produce adesign for an optimised Pu/MA-loaded fuel particle kernelcomposition and layer configuration that will be producedand tested in a follow-up programme.

PLUTONIUM AND MINOR ACTINIDES MANAGEMENT IN THERMAL HIGH-TEMPERATURE REACTORS

BASIS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUEL CYCLE

PuM

A


49

I N F O R M A T I O NFinally, the project will carry out characterisation anduncertainty/sensitivity analysis of the technical feasibility,economic viability and environmental friendliness ofvarious detailed reference (V)HTR designs and theirassociated fuel cycles. The possibility of integratedsymbiotic fuel cycles with different reactor systems will beinvestigated with a special focus on the potential role for(V)HTR systems serving a transuranium managementmission. Transmutation performance indicators will beestablished enabling comparison with other managementscenarios from other international assessment studies.

Sustainable nuclear energy

Finding solutions for managing radioactive waste is a key issuewhen addressing the future of nuclear energy in Europe. Theassessment carried out in PuMA will contribute to define thepotential future roles for (V)HTR systems in delivering energyproducts (electricity, hydrogen, process heat) whileperforming a transuranium management function.

The qualification, design and optimisation activities of PuMAwill set the path for future work, in particular for fuelfabrication. This will permit progress towards the emergenceof (V)HTR technology as a solution to the management ofplutonium and minor actinide stockpiles and to a moresustainable nuclear energy scenario in the future.

Public events

The PuMA project will be present at relevant internationalevents and communication beyond the nuclear communitywill also be organised.

CoordinatorJim C. KuijperNRGWesterduinweg 3PO box 251755 ZG PettenNederlandTel. (31-22) 456 45 06Fax (31-22) 456 84 [email protected]



Partners AGH Univ. of Science and Technology of Cracow, PLBelgonucleaire S.A., BECIRTEN, ITÉlectricité de France, FRGeneral Atomics, USAIKE – University of Stuttgart, DEEuropean Commission – Joint Research Centre (Institute for Transuranian Elements), EURoyal Institute of Technology, SELISTO bvba, BENexia Solutions Ltd., UKAMEC-NNC, UKLGI Consulting, FRDelft University of Technology, NLForschungszentrum Jülich, DEAreva NP, FR


PuMA LWR (UOX/MOX) + HTGR (OTC/deep burn) scenario

The VELLA (Virtual European Lead

Laboratory) initiative is a Euratom

FP6 project which has the am -

bitious intent to create a virtual laboratory for

lead technologies. In particular, VELLA aims to

create a common research area among the

European Union and its associate countries

(such as Switzerland) in the field of lead

technologies for advanced future nuclear

applications.

Best operational practise

VELLA has the ambitious intent to both create a network ofall the principal laboratories involved in this field and toconnect firmly different groups of European experts. Thiswill allow a common definition of good operationalpractices and promote the exchange of scientific results bymeans of appropriate and innovative tools and procedures,creating a common platform. It will also promote access toexisting European facilities to different specialist groups,support technological development and qualificationactivities and create a homogenous European ‘scientificcommunity’, organised to support all the requiredtechnological challenges and the necessary research requi -rements in this area.

The consortium of participants includes institutions withdifferent capabilities: universities, enterprises and researchcentres deeply involved in the field of lead technologies.The high-level profile of these organizations, their wellproven experience in the various areas of interest and theirco-operative capability are all important characteristics for success.

A variety of activities

VELLA comprises three different kinds of activities:networking activities (NA), transnational access activities(TA), and joint research activities (JRA).

50

The scope of the NA is to create a virtual community ofresearchers, to define common standards and protocols forthe use of the shared facilities and to interact with all theprogrammes and institutions operating in this field. Theobjectives of the TA are to promote access for researchers,universities and firms to the existing infrastructures andknowledge, in order to increase the competitiveness of theEuropean industry as a whole, to train the researchers in theuse of this existing EU infrastructures over the project’sthree year duration and to help human resource mobilitybetween the various laboratories. The JRA will create a baseof knowledge on lead technologies, develop and operateheavy liquid metal (HLM) components and instru -mentation, and study HLM thermal hydraulics.

Harmonising lead research

The major expected result of VELLA is to harmonise theEuropean research area in the field of lead technologies fornuclear applications in order to produce a commonplatform of work that will continues.

Through the NA a real “virtual” community of researchersin the field of HLM technologies for nuclear applications willbe created using a variety of ICT elements to enhanceinteraction between research teams across Europe. Inaddition dedicated workshops on specifics, thematic issuesand good practice related to the HLM technology will beorganised. An expert group will be set up to promote realintegration amongst ongoing EU activities on HLM.

VIRTUAL EUROPEAN LEAD LABORATORY

VIRTUAL CORE TO HEAVY METAL RESEARCHVE

LLA


EU research area

51

I N F O R M A T I O NThe TA activities will increase the competitiveness of theEuropean industry, while the JRA will help develop andjustify the technologies needed for the operation of largefacilities for future generation IV nuclear reactors andaccelerator-driven systems cooled by HLM, help developthe required components and instrumentation, study liquidmetal thermal-hydraulics and analyse the effects ofirradiation in presence of lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE). Thisresearch programme will harmonise and complete resultsobtained in the other research programmes on HLMtechnologies for nuclear applications.

Lead – big nuclear future

Due to its attractive properties a wide use of pure lead, aswell as its alloys (such as LBE and lead-lithium), is foreseenin several nuclear-related fields. These include as a coolantfor critical and sub-critical nuclear reactors, as a spallationtarget for neutron generation and for tritium production infusion systems. Given this potential extensive future use oflead technologies in nuclear systems, a deeper under -standing of its physical properties and engineeringapplications is highly desirable. VELLA is, therefore, of greatrelevance for the whole nuclear research community.

The beneficial effect of VELLA will promote the integrationof existing European infrastructures and develop synergiesbetween the laboratories and the research groups, whileacting in a concerted way with other FP6 programmes thathave a greater focus on other technical-scientific aspects.

Public events

The fourth workshop on materials for HLM-cooled reactorsand related technologies was sponsored by VELLA and heldin Rome on 21-23 May 2007.

CoordinatorGianluca BenamatiENEALocalità BrasimoneI-40032 CamugnanoTel. (39) 05 34 80 14 23Fax (39) 05 34 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Integrated Infrastructure InitiativeProject start date: 01/10/2006Duration: 36 monthsTotal budget: EUR 3 318 258EC contribution: EUR 2 300 000


Partners Commissariat à l’énergie atomique, FRCIEMAT, ESConsiglio nazionale delle ricerche, Istituto per l’energetica e le interfasi IENI, Sezione di Genova, ITCNRS, FRForschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, DEForschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, DEInstitut Quimic de Sarria (Universitat Ramon Llull), ESKungliga Tekniska Högskolan, SENuclear Research Institute ŘeŽ, CZPaul Scherrer Institute, CHBelgian Nuclear Research Centre, BEInstitute of Physics, University of Latvia, LV


53

Quantification of risks associated with low and

protracted exposures ERA-PRO 54Radiobiology GENEPI-ENTB 2 56

GENEPI-lowRT 58GENRISK-T 60NOTE 62

Protection of the environment and radioecology FUTURAE 64PROTECT 66

Risk and emergency management TMT Handbook 68

CH

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RADIATION PROTECTION

The European Radiobiological

Archives (ERA) contain data from

numerous radiobiological animal

experiments conducted between 1960 and

1998. This data is of great value to current and

future radiation risk assessment activities. The

ERA-PRO project is working to maintain and

promote this data in conjunction with other

similar international databases. This involves

ensuring the compatibility and comparability of

the data and facilitating access to it. Open online

access via an e.ERA website will allow the

international scientific community to make best

use of this valuable resource.

Preserving animal data

The assessment of radiation risks is based on the knowledge gained from epidemiological studies of radiation-exposed populations, in conjunction with datafrom experimental animal studies, and on fundamentalinformation from biophysical, molecular biological and cellular in vitro studies. Recent developments in molecularand genetic research are providing major opportunities tofurther quantify radiation exposure at the individual level.The ability to perform retrospective analysis of earlier epi-demiological and animal studies using information gainedfrom these more recent studies is an important resourcefor modelling and evaluating new risk parameters.

The European Union and the European Late Effects ProjectGroup (EULEP) created a database containing data fromalmost all of the available animal radiation biology studiescarried out in Europe, the USA and Japan between 1960and 1998, plus those of two human cohort studies. This database is called the European Radiobiology Archives(ERA) and includes 122 studies from 19 different laboratories. As well as information from research studieson individual and grouped animals the ERA databaseincludes information from human cohort studies, namelythe Spiess series and the German ankylosing spondylitis

54

patients treated with Ra-224. This information is nowmaintained as a Microsoft Access 2000 database.

Funding for the long-term maintenance of ERA is assuredfrom a variety of sources. However, the goal of the ERA-PRO project is to maximise the exploitation of the resourceby improving the quality of the database and by makingERA accessible to the greatest number of end-users.

Sustainable and future-proof

The project will put into effect an easy-to-use database forfurther exploitation by the international scientific community. The predominant objective of the project is totransfer the existing database into a sustainable form.Close collaboration with relevant Japanese groups, such asthat established by the Japanese Late Effects Group (JRA),as well as the American National Radiobiology Archives(NRA) will also be continued.

The present project aims to convert the existing databasefrom a Microsoft database to an internet accessible versionthat will allow remote access. A major first step will be tostandardise the pathological nomenclature and ontologyused in the current ERA database in accordance with internationally accepted standards in the existing PATHBASE database. Links will be established with othercomparable international databases, namely NRA and JRAand the awareness of ERA in the scientific community will be raised.

Finally, the quality of the biological material, for exampletissue samples, will be mapped and their viability for retention and storing will be assessed. This will includeconducting a practical feasibility study on storing samplematerial.

An invaluable online resource

The project consortium involves two partners: the FederalOffice for Radiation Protection (BfS) in Germany and theUniversity of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. In addition an advisory board consisting of seven membersfrom different organisations, disciplines, and countries hasbeen set up and an international pathology panel workingon nomenclature established.

The project has already successfully passed two decisionpoints that allow the project to proceed. The first was related to the quality of the data included in ERA, and the

PROMOTION AND UPDATE OF THE EUROPEAN RADIOBIOLOGICAL ARCHIVES

NEW LIFE FOR OLD DATAER

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I N F O R M A T I O Nsecond was aimed to check the feasibility of deriving a unified nomenclature for mouse pathology for the new database.

The main project deliverable will be a unique on-linearchive consisting of an easy-to-use database of invaluabledata for further exploitation by the scientific community.This will be an e.ERA specific website with controllable useraccess. The final form of the website will be designed following feedback from the potential user community.

Improved risk assessment

The project will facilitate the dissemination of data collected in ERA to research groups within the EuropeanUnion and beyond. In this way the project will contributeto issues in the risk assessment of low doses and low doserates of radiation, the relative biological effectiveness (RBE)of different radiation qualities, the repair of radiation damage at low-dose rates, the genetic background for radiation sensitivity and resistance and the possibilities forextrapolation between different animal species and strainsand man. The data will also reinforce the scientific basis ofbiokinetic and dosimetric models.

CoordinatorBernd GroscheBundesamt für Strahlenschutz (Federal Office for Radiation Protection)Dep. Radiation Protection and HealthIngolstaedter Landstr. 1D-85764 OberschleissheimTel. (49-30) 18 33 32-260Fax (49-39) 18 33 [email protected]/era


EC Project Officer: George Neale KellyEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/78B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 295 64 84Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

PartnerUniversity of Cambridge, UK

RADIATION PROTEC TIONQuantification of risks associated with low and protracted exposures

A key issue in the treatment of

cancer by radiotherapy is the

unpredicted response to some

treatment courses. This can consist either in

adverse responses to treatment due to

patient hypersensitivity to radiation or in

treatment failure due to an insufficient

clinical effect on the tumour. The GENEPI-

ENTB 2 project extends work begun during

FP5 to establish a bio bank that can help

efforts to understand the possible genetic

basis for these medical outcomes and lead to

more effective treatment.

Why radiotherapy fails

Recent advances in imaging techniques allow accuratethree dimensional information on the precise location andnature of tumours in the body to be obtained. Clinicianscan compare and select the most effective radiation treatment strategies. These treatments are constrained by the radiation tolerance of normal tissues close to the tumour. Sophisticated equipment can deliver very precisely targeted treatment. However, radiation oncologists and their patients are regularly confrontedwith unexpected adverse responses to radiotherapy (in upto 10 % of treatments). Conversely treatment failure is seenin normal commonly curable cancers (more than 20 % ofcases). Clearly the standard radiation doses based on a century of physics and radiobiological research togetherwith extensive clinical observation are not adequate forover 10 % of cancer patients.

There is growing evidence that minute mutations in thegenetic make-up of individuals are the reason for theseadverse treatment results. But which of more than 50genes activated by low or high dose radiation hold the keyto this variation in individual response and can thereforebe targeted for predictive tests?

56

A genetic key

Trying to find which aberrant nucleotide or combinationof nucleotides in the suspected genes encode for the vari-ation in individual radiosensitivity is like finding a needlein a haystack. To narrow down the research, a dedicatedinfrastructure needed to be created: a biological samplebank and database of tissues obtained from patientswhose treatment data and response to treatment is accu-rately recorded.

A possible avenue for realising this plan was found duringEuratom FP5 when the GENEPI project was initiated. Thisproject established the European normal and tumour tissue bank and database with a number of strong andmotivated research partners. Over its three-year duration,tissues from more than 5000 patients were collected.These samples remain stored in the partner institutes withfull information on treatment and follow up documenta-tion available in the peripheral databases stored in thecentral GENEPI database. This allows investigators to scanwhether and where tissues corresponding to theirresearch objectives are stored. An easily accessible searchengine also allows scientists to make quick queries on theavailability of the data and material they are looking for.

When opening the GENEPI tissue bank, a commitment wasmade to expand the facility in the future and to keep itopen for a minimum period of 20 years. From the beginning it was clear that to enable the selection ofhomogeneous cohorts of patients with respect to variables such as age, sex, tumour histology, treatmentand follow up regime, a database with full documentationon up to 12 000 tissues would be necessary. This is the stated objective of the current GENEPI-ENTB 2 project thatis being funded via Euratom FP6. In parallel, the firstresearch project using GENEPI has also been funded underFP6 (see project sheet GENEPI-lowRT).

More samples, better information

GENEPI-ENTB 2 aims not only at the quantitative but also at the qualitative development of the GENEPI infra-structure. Functionalities will be developed to store treat-ment plans with images and dose volume histograms andto submit complex queries. In addition, all radiotherapy centres, including those that have no laboratory or tissuebank of their own, will be asked to contribute data andobtain tissues from patients with a well documented

GENETIC PATHWAYS FOR THE PREDICTION OF THE EFFECTS OF IONISING RADIATION: THE EUROPEAN NORMAL AND TUMOUR TISSUE BANK II

RADIOTHERAPY – THE HOLY GRAIL?

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I N F O R M A T I O Nextreme overreaction to radiotherapy. These precious samples may well provide valuable information to identifythe genetic basis for this response.

The scientific leadership for this project, coordinated bythe European Society for Therapeutic Radiology andOncology (ESTRO), is ensured by UZ Leuven (Prof. KarinHaustermans). Leading partners in the project are theUniversity of Maastricht (tissue collection), TU Dresden(database development) and UCL Brussels (QualityAssurance). Together with the project leader and the coordinating partner, they count on the further active support of the full European radiotherapy community torealise the shared GENEPI objectives.

Effective cancer treatment

The GENEPI initiative provides a valuable resource thatcould hold the key to more effective, personalised radiotherapy treatments that efficiently destroy cancertumours with minimal damage to normal tissue. Thiswould be a major advance in cancer treatment with significant impact on public health.

CoordinatorChristine VerfaillieESTROAv. E. Mounier 83B-1200 [email protected]

Project leaderProf. Karin HaustermansK.U. [email protected]



Partners Universiteit Maastricht, NLTechnische Universität Dresden, DEUniversité Catholique de Louvain, BESilesian University of Technology, PLK.U. Leuven, BEMedlawconsult, NLEQUAL-ESTRO SAS, FR

RADIATION PROTEC TIONRadiobiology

Screen for public queries on the GENEPI website

A better understanding of how

individual patients respond to

radiotherapy at a genetic level

would enable improved and more effective

treatments for cancer. The GENEPI-lowRT

project will use the GENEPI databank to

select appropriate samples for analysis

which, together with new samples, will be

used to identify genetic markers that relate

to differing clinical responses of normal

tissue to radiotherapy.

Improving radiotherapy response

The issue of risk estimation at low radiation dose is ofimportance to medical uses of ionizing radiation.Radiotherapy remains one of the principal treatments forcancer, and is second only to surgery as the mode of treat-ment that contributes most to curing cancer.

However, the effectiveness of radiotherapeutic treatmentfor many tumours is limited by the radiation dose restric-tions needed to minimise normal tissue damage. Thisdamage includes injuries such as fibrosis in vital organscausing chronic and disabling symptoms that emergeyears after treatment. Clinical observations of adversereactions to radiotherapy, seen in ~ 5-10 % of the patientstreated, indicate large variations in normal tissue responsebetween individuals.

Tissue complications and genetics

The biological factors underlying these normal tissuecomplications are currently not known. Attempts to link normal tissue responses in patients with various phenotypical cell and molecular responses to high(≥ 2.0 Gy) in vitro radiation doses have to date generallyproven unsuccessful.

The GENEPI-lowRT project aims to explore links betweenthe development of severe, normal tissue complicationsfollowing radiotherapy with various phenotypical responses and genetic pathways induced at low dose.

58

The GENEPI bio-bank provides a valuable resource on normal and adverse tissue responses in a large populationof radiotherapy-treated breast cancer patients whose treatment has been followed-up over several years.Linking the GENEPI database with the levels of genetic changes induced at low dose provides an ideal opportunity to address whether genetic differencesbetween individuals are associated with the developmentof severe, normal tissue complications.

Genetic effects from low dose

The GENEPI-lowRT project brings together seven leadingEuropean clinical and fundamental research laboratorieswho will address whether changes in genetic and func-tional responses induced at low doses in either fibroblastsor T-cells derived from breast cancer patients correlatewith the severity of normal tissue responses observed inthese patients. The project will use the GENEPI databaseestablished under FP5 to identify two groups of breastcancer patients who have been treated with radiotherapy:one group with an adverse normal tissue response to theradiotherapy and one group showing normal tissue com-plications under treatment.

Anonymous skin biopsies from a non-irradiated field andblood samples will be collected to establish fibroblast andT-cells which will be irradiated with low radiation doses toidentify any inter-cellular differences in gene expressionand functionality. The findings will be analysed to see if thegenetic and functional changes determined are able to predict the severity of normal tissue complications ofthe patients.

The project will provide new knowledge that will help tounderstand non-cancer health risks and identify potentialgenetic components of relevance to occupational, environmental and medical exposure to radiation. In addition the project will train young scientists to provide apool of future researchers with a breadth of skills in radiation sciences.

The results will be published in scientific journals and pre-sented at research meetings. The patients involved in thestudies will be informed of the findings in an appropriatemanner. A number of meetings will be organised forhealth professionals through the European Society forTherapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) to ensurecomprehensive dissemination of results.

GENETIC PATHWAYS FOR THE PREDICTION OF THE EFFECTS OF IONISING RADIATION: LOW-DOSE RADIOSENSITIVITY AND RISK TO NORMAL TISSUE AFTER RADIOTHERAPY

ASSESSING INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE TO THERAPY

GEN

EPI-l

owRT


59

I N F O R M A T I O NUnderstanding individual response

Since one in two of European citizens will be personallyconfronted with cancer during their lifetime, the GENEPI-lowRT project addresses important issues relating to publichealth. The project aims to identify genetic factors whichpre-dispose individuals to increased radiosensitivity thatmanifests as normal tissue complications following radio-therapy, months or years after treatment.

The outcome will contribute to assessing approaches to personalise radiotherapy treatments based on an individual’s genetic make-up. The possibility of tailoringdose prescription to the individual radiosensitivity of each patient could indeed be a significant step forward in decreasing adverse effects of radiation treatment. In addition, knowledge of individual genetic predisposi-tion to late effects of ionising radiation will contribute to evaluation of health risk from low-dose radiation.

CoordinatorChristine VerfaillieESTROAv. E. Mounier 83B-1200 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 775 93 49Fax (32-2) 779 54 [email protected]



Partners MRC Radiation & Genome Stability Unit, UKUniversity of Dresden, DEUniversity of Tübingen, DE Silesian University of Technology, PLLeiden University, Medical Centre, NLInstitute of Cancer Research, UK


Virtual simulation showing 'beams-eye view' of medial tangential 6 MV photon beam to left breast encompassing showing the tip of theheart (in green) included within the high-dose volume

© B

ritish

Socie

ty of

Rad

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aphe

rs (U

K)

Although cancer incidence shows

a clear relationship with higher

radiation dose, it is uncertain if low

doses (< 100 mSv) of ionising radiation increase

the risk of developing cancer. Furthermore, it is

not clear if the high level of genetic variation

among individuals contributes to differences in

susceptibility to the cancer-promoting effects of

radiation, especially at low doses. A lasting

legacy of the Chernobyl nuclear accident is an

increase in the incidence of cancer of the thyroid

gland amongst exposed individuals. The

GENRISK-T consortium is working towards

understanding how individual genetic factors

influence the risk of developing cancers of the

thyroid after exposure to ionising radiation.

The role of genetic variability

Certain cancers of the thyroid gland are induced by external irradiation and/or by radionuclides depositedwithin the thyroid tissues. Estimates of the radiological riskof developing thyroid cancer are derived from epidemio-logical studies performed in populations that havereceived high doses. However, extrapolation of this risk to exposures at much lower doses is compromised by the lack of an accurate model of the dose-response curvefor thyroid cancer at these low doses. Moreover, such population-based estimates fail to take into account thecontribution of individual genetic variability to the riskestimate. Individuals with an increased genetic predisposi-tion to develop thyroid cancer are not identified, and it is precisely these individuals who will be at greatest risk fromlow-dose exposures.

GENRISK-T brings together a consortium of experts in radiation biology, molecular genetics, mouse models ofhuman cancers, pathologists, oncologists, and bio-mathe-maticians. This interdisciplinary knowledge will be used todefine the genetic component influencing the risk of

60

radiation-induced thyroid cancer. The project’s ex perimen-tal strategy is to develop and use a series of mouse modelsof thyroid cancer to identify the contribution of geneticvariability to the risk of developing thyroid cancer.Through complimentary studies comparing the geneticevents accompanying the development of thyroid cancersin mouse and human tumours, the project will be able todetermine how genetic variation affects risk and use thisknowledge to develop strategies to determine if dosesbelow 100 mSv can indeed influence risk of developingthyroid malignancy. The project will provide an experi-mental solution to resolving the uncertainties of the low dose-response curve for thyroid cancer.

Reliable models

Thyroid tumours arise in human populations after exposure to ionising radiation, but causality is not easily, ifever, established due to the significant incidence of spon-taneous cancers. Consequently, genetic analysis of susceptibility is practically impossible in human popu -lations due to confounding non-radiation inducedtumours. By using selected mouse models, the probabilityof causality is dramatically increased, raising the accuracyof genetic studies. Therefore, the project consortium isplacing considerable effort in developing and refiningmouse models of radiation-induced thyroid cancer.

In a parallel, the GENRISK-T team will undertake a geneticanalysis of human thyroid cancer with radiation association. This will give the opportunity to translate theanimal data into human studies. The studies on thyroid tis-sue will be published in the open literature and presentedto international meetings dealing with thyroid cancer andwith radiation biology. Through an SME industrial partner(ASCENION), the potential for exploitation of intellectualproperty produced by the project in the clinical field willbe explored.

Genetic susceptibilities

Although the project has only recently commenced, it hasalready established efficient protocols for induction of thyroid cancers. Moreover, genetically divergent inbredmouse strains show quite different susceptibilities to thyroid cancer after exposure to radioiodine. As the project continues, the project team will hope to identifywhich genes are responsible for the different susceptibili-

DEFINING THE GENETIC COMPONENT OF THYROID CANCER RISK AT LOW DOSES

CAN LOW DOSE INDUCE THYROID CANCER?G

ENRI

SK-T


61

I N F O R M A T I O Nties and to study how these genes affect the incidence ofthyroid cancer in radiation-exposed populations.

Improved risk assessment

By incorporating genetic risk factors into available estimates of cancer risk the project will be able to improverisk assessment for humans subject to low-dose radiationexposures. Consequently, dose limits that are currentlyapplied to the entire population could be individually tailored to accommodate the contribution of personalgenetic risk, and individuals with a genetically pre deter-mined increased risk can be more efficiently protectedfrom exposure.

Public events

The project will have a website available to the generalpublic explaining the tasks of the GENRISK-T consortiumand displaying topical news from the research laboratories.

CoordinatorMichael AtkinsonGSF Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und GesundheitIngolstaedter Landstrasse 1D-85764 NeuherbergTel. (49-89) 31 87 22 51Fax (49-89) 31 87 33 [email protected]: mid 2007



Partners Commissariat à l´énergie atomique, FRImperial College of Science London, Faculty of Medecine, Technology and Medicine, UKMaria Sklodowska Curie Memorial Cancer Centre, PLUniversité libre de Bruxelles, BEUniversità degli studi di Napoli Federici II, ITStudiecentrum voor Kernenergie-Centre d'étude de l'énergie nucléaire, BECentro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, ESASCENION GmbH, DE


© G

SF (D

E)

Mouse thyroid tumour induced by iodine 131

Our understanding of the true

health effects of low doses of

ionising radiation requires more

research. The NOTE project will help to

expand our knowledge in this area. In

particular, it will examine the effects

that occur in cells adjacent to those targeted

by radiation. NOTE will improve our under -

standing of the biological mechanisms that

occur due to low-dose radiation and could

form the basis for a new paradigm for

radiobiology and public protection.

Low-dose health effects

The NOTE project aims to expand the currentunderstanding of health effects caused by low-level dosesof ionising radiation. The key focus of the researchprogramme is the possible health consequences ofexposures to small radiation doses which have not beeninvestigated sufficiently so far. Previous research hasaccumulated evidence on various non-targeted effects ofionising radiation, such as, for example, the so-calledbystander effect. This is a phenomenon where cellulareffects are expressed in non-irradiated neighbouring cellsadjacent to an irradiated cell or cells. On the basis of thepresent knowledge, it is not possible to state whether thiseffect increases health risk or not. The objective of the NOTEproject is to investigate the mechanisms underlying non-targeted effects.

The project also aims to investigate if non-targeted effectsmodulate health risk at low doses and if ionising radiationcan induce non-cancer diseases. The four-year EuropeanIntegrated Project NOTE (Non-targeted Effects of IonisingRadiation) is coordinated by STUK – Radiation and NuclearSafety Authority, Finland.

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A new paradigm required?

The universality of the target theory of radiation-inducedeffects is challenged by observations on non-targetedeffects such as bystander effects, genomic instability andadaptive responses. The essential features of these non-targeted effects are that they do not require directnuclear exposure by radiation and they are particularlysignificant at low doses. This new evidence suggests a needfor a new paradigm in radiation biology. The new paradigmshould cover both the classical (targeted) and the non-targeted effects.

New aspects include the role of cellular communicationand tissue-level responses. A better understanding of non-targeted effects may have important consequences forhealth risk assessment and, consequently, on radiationprotection. Non-targeted effects may also contribute to theestimation of cancer risk from occupational, medical andenvironmental exposures. In particular, they may haveimplications for the applicability of the Linear-No-Threshold(LNT) model in extrapolating radiation risk data into thelow-dose region. This also means that the adequacy of theconcept of dose to estimate risk may be challenged bythese findings. Moreover, these effects may provide newmechanistic explanations for the development of non-cancer diseases. Further research is required to determineif these effects, typically measured in cell cultures, are alsoapplicable at tissue level, in whole animals, and ultimatelyin humans.

20 research organisations from Europe (including Belgium,Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, the UK)and Canada are taking part in the NOTE project. Theorganisations are involved in the discovery, characterisationand mechanistic investigation of non-targeted effects ofionising radiation in cellular, tissue and animal models. TheNOTE research activities are organised in six work packages.

Mechanism and function

The NOTE project will investigate the mechanisms of non-targeted effects, in particular, bystander effects, genomicinstability and adaptive response. It will also investigate ifand how non-targeted effects modulate the cancer risk inthe low-dose region, and whether they relate to protectiveor harmful functions.

NON-TARGETED EFFECTS OF IONISING RADIATION

IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING OF LOW-DOSE EFFECTSN

OTE


63

I N F O R M A T I O NNOTE will investigate if ionising radiation can cause non-cancer diseases or give protective effects at low andintermediate doses. These studies will examine individualsusceptibility and other factors that modify non-targetedresponses and assess the relevance of non-targeted effectsfor radiation protection. This will set the scientific basis fora modern, more realistic, radiation safety system andcontribute to the conceptualisation of a new paradigm inradiation biology that would cover both the classical direct(DNA-targeted) and non-targeted (indirect) effects.

Better protection

New knowledge and understanding of the mechanismsthat occur when cells are exposed to low-dose irradiationare important in establishing effective systems for theprotection of the public. Medical and diagnosticapplications of ionising radiation are the most commonareas of exposure of the public and a better understandingof the potential effects and benefits of treatment isimportant for public health authorities and other regulatorbodies. This research may establish a new basis for radiationprotection.

Public events

NOTE plans to organise two workshops. The first will takeplace during 2008 and try to conceptualise the newparadigm for radiobiology. Towards the end of the projectanother workshop on the relevance of the work forradiation protection will be arranged as a satellite meetingof the 3rd European Congress of the International RadiationProtection Association, in Helsinki, Finland, in 2010.

CoordinatorSisko SalomaaRadiation and Nuclear Safety AuthorityLaippatie 4PO box 14FI-00881 HelsinkiTel. (358-9) 759 88 495Fax (358-9) 7598 84 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Integrated ProjectProject start date: 01/09/2006Duration: 48 monthsTotal budget: EUR 11 898 538EC contribution: EUR 6 330 000


Partners University of Dundee, UKLeipzig University, DEMRC Radiation and Genome Stability Unit, UKImperial College, UKGray Cancer Institute, UKBelgian Nuclear Research Centre, BEDublin Institute of Technology, IENational Institute of Health, ITUniversity of Leicester, UKMcMaster University, CAAtomic Energy of Canada Limited, CANational Research Institute for Radiobiology and Radiohygiene, HUNational Research Centre for Environment and Health, DEUniversity of Pavia, ITUniversity of Erlangen-Nuremberg, DEUniversity of Duisburg-Essen, DENorwegian Radium Hospital, NOOttawa Heart Institute Research Corporation, CAQueen’s University of Belfast, UK


Operation of the STUK α-particle irradiation system (SISα) designedfor studying non-targeted effects of ionising radiation

© ST

UK (F

I)

The FUTURAE project is reviewing

the state of radioecology in Europe

and conducting a study on the

feasibility of a European Network (or networks) of

Excellence in this field. Radioecology studies how

radioactive substances interact with nature,

including how different mechanisms affect the

migration of radioactive species and their

uptake in food chains and ecosystems.

This research forms the basis for estimating

radioactive dose and assessing the con s equences

of radioactive pollution events on human health

and the environment.

Assessing competence and requirements

The primary objective of the FUTURAE project is to evaluate the feasibility of a network (or networks) tomaintain competence and enhance sustainable collabo-ration in the scientific field of the assessment and management of the impact of radionuclides on humansand the environment.

To achieve this, the FUTURAE Coordination Action will undertake a number of tasks including the evaluation ofthe current situation for radioecology research in Europeand beyond. This will involve the assessment of scientific programmes, human resources, infrastructures, and funding. The project will interact with end-users representing national bodies, competent authorities,industry and scientists to assess their present and futureneeds in radioecology and will evaluate the capacity inEurope to support these future needs. This will includethe identification and prioritisation of new challengesand new ways for better collaboration with broader areasof the environmental sciences. The output of the projectwill be an evaluation of the potential for establishingdeeper and sustainable collaboration in radioecologywith one option being the establishment of one or moreNetwork(s) of Excellence. The suitable scope, extent andstructure of such networks will also be explored.

64

Enhancing scientific capacity

The FUTURAE project is implemented through the coordi-nation of five work packages. Information on the status ofradioecological research in terms of funding, human and infrastructure resources and current research pro-grammes in Europe and internationally will be updatedand analysed. In particular information on the future of individual research groups and institutes will be integrated to clearly identify their research potential. In paral-lel the present and future needs of end-users, such asnational authorities, industry, decision-makers, scientists,higher education and international organisations (forexample the International Atomic Energy Agency and theInternational Commission on Radiological Protection) willbe assessed and their requirements related with respect tothe assessment and management of the impact ofradionuclides on humanity and the environment.

European radioecological scientific capacity to supportthese identified future needs will be evaluated, giving priority to previously identified requirements and highlighting new scientific challenges. In the light of thiswork consideration will be given to potential avenues forbetter collaboration with broader areas of environmentalsciences. A separate work package will evaluate the needfor, and feasibility of one or more Network(s) of Excellenceto maintain and enhance competence and expertise inEurope. This activity will also propose a knowledge management structure at the European level. In particular

A FUTURE FOR RADIOECOLOGY IN EUROPE

MAINTAINING EUROPEAN EXCELLENCEFU

TURA

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© J.

C. G

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, IRSN

(FR)

Consortium members of the FUTURAE project

65

I N F O R M A T I O Nan assessment will be made of how to maintain Europe’s acknowledged lead in the field of radioecology and how topromote dissemination of this European competencewithin new Member States. A proposal outlining the practical steps required to implement the Network(s) ofExcellence will be produced.

Network for excellence

Four main deliverables are anticipated for the project.Firstly an assessment of the present situation for researchin radioecology in Europe will be published. This will be contrasted with the societal expectations for scientific capability to deliver radioecological impact assessmentsthat will be collected via the study of end-users’ views on selected European and international initiatives.

The comparison of resources with expectations will produce an analysis of anticipated strengths and weaknesses in fulfilling future radioecological assessmentstudies. This in turn will drive the analysis of new ways of working together and networking to ensure that radioecological competence and excellence in Europe ismaintained and enhanced.

Collaboration to ensure safety

The major impact of the FUTURAE project will be to propose mechanisms such as networking or other initiatives, which will ensure that Europe will, in the nextdecade, retain and enhance an adequate level of compe-tence and expertise in radioecology relative to its presentand future needs. Collaboration at the European level will contribute to harmonisation of national regulationsand management which in turn will improve acceptanceby industry and the public in matters relating to environ-mental radiation protection.

A further impact from this project will be to give recom-mendations on the best way to ensure that Europe willkeep, and perhaps strengthen, its world-leading position inthe field of radioecology – an essential scientific service forensuring public safety.

CoordinatorJean-Christophe GarielIRSN/DEI/SECREBP3 F-13115 Saint-Paul-lez-DuranceTel. (33) 442 199 532Fax (33) 442 199 [email protected]


EC Project Officer: Henning von MaravicEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/81B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 52 73 Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

Partners Swedish Radiation Protection Authority, SENatural Environment Research Council, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UKBelgian Nuclear Research Centre, University of Antwerp, BEResearch Centre in Energy, Environment and Technology, ESRadiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, FIJozef Stefan Institute, SINorwegian Radiation Protection Authority, NO

RADIATION PROTEC TIONProtection of the environment and radioecology

This Coordination Action will eva-

luate the different approaches to

protection of the environment

from ionising radiation and compare them with

the approaches adopted for non-radioactive

contaminants. This work will provide a scientific

justification on which to propose numerical

targets or standards for the protection of the

environment from ionising radiation.

Comparing different approaches

The PROTECT project will evaluate the existing differentapproaches to protection of the environment from ionisingradiation in various countries and will compare these withthe approaches used for non-radioactive contaminants. Thiswidespread review and analysis will provide a coherentscientific justification on which to propose new numericaltargets or standards for protection of the environment fromionising radiation.

To achieve this, the project will engage with theInternational Commission on Radiological Protection, theInternational Atomic Energy Agency, national regulatoryauthorities, industry and other interested parties. Theoutputs from the PROTECT project will help to inform afuture revision of the Euratom Basic Safety Standards.

Assessing protection approaches

The PROTECT team will initially gather information on thecurrent environmental regulatory approaches to bothchemicals and radioactive substances in Member States.The information will be critically reviewed to determine thebiological and ecological endpoints currently used forprotection and the similarities and differences betweenapproaches for chemicals and radioactive substances.

The various assessment approaches will be evaluated forpracticality, relevance and merits. These approaches willinclude the models and tools used for demonstratingprotection of the environment from ionising radiation.

66

A number of recommended numerical target values will be applied and the potential consequences of their use assessed.

Using the protection goals or endpoints identified theproject will propose standards for protection of theenvironment from ionising radiation that can ensurecompliance with these protection goals. The proposedstandards will be presented and discussed with relevantstakeholders to assess their wider implications.

Requirements and recommendations

The project is set to produce four deliverables. A review of the various approaches to protection of the environment from chemicals and ionising radiation will bepublished that will enumerate the requirements andrecommendations for a common framework. In addition anevaluation of the practicability of these differentapproaches for protecting the environment from ionisingradiation in a regulatory context and their relative meritswill be produced.

A three-part document will cover the aims, and associatedsecondary numerical targets, for protecting biota againstradiation in the environment. The first part will list therecommendations for further action, while the second willdescribe the proposed levels or targets and the underlyingreasoning that supports these figures. The third and finalpart will record the views of end users and otherstakeholders on the feasibility of the proposed targets. Allwill be published via the dedicated PROTECT websitewww.ceh.ac.uk/PROTECT and other channels.

Sound and pragmatic safeguards

Many European nations are at a critical stage with respectto plans for the final management of spent nuclear fuel andother high-level radioactive waste. The PROTECT projectmay help in taking a sound, pragmatic and cost-effectiveapproach to the environmental concerns surrounding thisissue. Similarly, there are many nuclear power plants atvarious stages of decommissioning. The project will helpinform the environmental impact assessment ofradiological and non-radiological hazards which must beincluded in the decommissioning process. Harmonisationof risk assessment approaches (including nuclear andchemical, human and environmental aspects) will lead tothe most cost-effective methodologies.

PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT FROM IONISING RADIATION IN A REGULATORY CONTEXT

BETTER PROTECTION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

PRO

TECT


67

I N F O R M A T I O NThe PROTECT project will assist in achieving a morebalanced comparison of the effects of radionuclides withother environmental stressors. The potential demonstrationof the comparatively low impact of radionuclides within theenvironment compared to many other anthropogenichazards may help inform the re-emerging debate withregard to nuclear power option versus other power sourceswithin Europe.

Results from the project will help to inform a future revisionof the Euratom Basic Safety Standards – one of thefundamental safeguards of nuclear safety for Europeancitizens.

Public events

During the course of the project, a number of workshopsfor interested parties from regulatory organisations, NGOs,industry and the research community will be run.

CoordinatorBrenda HowardCentre for Ecology and Hydrology LancasterLEC, Library AvenueUnited KingdomTel. (44-15) 24 59 58 55Fax (44-15) 24 61 [email protected]/PROTECT


EC Project Officer: Henning von MaravicEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/81B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 52 73Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

Partners Swedish Radiation Protection Authority, SEEnvironment Agency, UKNatural Environment Research Council, UKNorwegian Radiation Protection Authority, NOInstitute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety, FR

RADIATION PROTEC TIONProtection of the environment and radioecology

Should we regulate exposure of plants and animals to radiation?

© Ca

ther

ine B

arne

tt

European national emergency

response plans have long been

focused on potential accidents at

nuclear power plants. Recently, the potential

threat posed by disaffected terrorist groups

has shifted the focus to being prepared also

for the malevolent use of radiation that is

aimed at creating disruption and panic in

society. The possible radiation exposure

could range from very low to substantial,

possibly combined with conventional in -

juries. There is a need to develop practical

tools to ensure an adequate response to such

incidents and more specifically to address

European guidelines for triage, monitoring

and treatment of the exposed population.

Responding to a terrorist threat

The main objective of this project is to produce a practicalhandbook for the effective and timely triage, monitoringand treatment of people exposed to radiation following aterrorist act. In order to achieve this, the TMT consortiumcomprises seven organisations that can integrate their key skills and knowledge to produce an appropriateTMT Handbook. The consortium members represent themain European expertise and end-users in this area. They include research organisations, government bodies andinternational organisations to provide a well balanced andcomplimentary team.

This synergistic alignment of skills means the end productfar exceeds any individual organisations ability to deliver inall of the areas of work. The final product, the Handbook itself, will be made available to a wide spectrum of endusers enabling the maximum uptake and implementation ofthe knowledge acquired through this project.

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Evaluating scenarios and treatment

To achieve the project's objective, several tasks will be undertaken. Firstly a number of different scenarios will beevaluated to set the project’s terms of reference. Subsequently,a set of guidelines will be drafted for monitoring and triage ofexposed populations during and after an incident. The guide-lines will also cover the treatment, management and longterm follow up of the citizens affected by the incident and willoutline best practise for public information and risk commu-nication issues. These guidelines will be collated in a draftmodular-format handbook that will be distributed to a widerange of end users. These end users will be asked to commenton the content and encouraged to test it in national emer-gency response exercises.

A workshop will be arranged to enable the end users to provide feedback on the handbook and how it works inpractise in these large-scale exercises. A final version of thehandbook will be produced on the basis of this feedback. A wide distribution of the handbook to national emergencyresponse institutions is envisaged and it will be incorpo-rated into a variety of training programmes.

From these tasks, the ability of European national authori-ties to respond to emergencies concerning malevolent useof radiation or radioactive material will be greatly enhanced.

A wide dissemination

The TMT Handbook that will be produced at the end of thisproject will assist health care organisations on the triage,monitoring and treatment of people exposed to radiationafter a terrorist attack involving a deliberate release of radioactive material. It is expected that this handbook will

TRIAGE, MONITORING AND TREATMENT OF THE PUBLIC AFTER A MALEVOLENT USE OF RADIATION -- HANDBOOK

BEING PREPARED FOR THE WORST

TMT

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Thyroid monitoring with portable monitoring system

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I N F O R M A T I O Nbe widely distributed among national emergency authori-ties and emergency response services, relevant EuropeanUnion institutions and other international organisationsdealing with nuclear and radiological matters or being responsible for public health issues.

The results of the project will be disseminated through theorganisation of seminars and training activities and synergies will be formed with local and national emergencyresponse organisations and in particular with first responders and medical centres in charge of public healthin case of a terrorist incident. The development and deliveryof the handbook will be used to raise awareness of the needfor adequate preparedness and training for such events atnational and international levels.

An effective European response

The TMT Handbook will strengthen European ability to efficiently respond to malevolent terrorist acts involving radioactive substances in terms of protecting and treatingexposed citizens. One part of the handbook is also devotedto public information and communication issues whichshould contribute to public reassurance during such emergency situations.

The handbook will harmonise the approaches to handlingsuch malevolent acts across Europe. This harmonisation willhave an added value in inspiring public trust in authoritiessince differing approaches in neighbouring countries couldlead to public confusion and mistrust.

Public events

A workshop will be arranged to allow feedback from the endusers on the content, structure and usefulness of the handbook before a final version is produced.

CoordinatorCarlos Rojas PalmaBelgian Nuclear Research CentreBoeretang 200B-2400 MolTel. (32-14) 33 28 27Fax (32-14) 32 10 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Specific Targeted Research ProjectProject start date: 01/09/2006Duration: 36 monthsTotal budget: EUR 1 501 508EC contribution: EUR 699 999

EC Project Officer: Michel HugonEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/52B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 57 19Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

Partners Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, NOEnviros Consulting, UKRadiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, FIHealth Protection Agency, UKWorld Health OrganisationCentral Laboratory for Radiological Protection, PL

RADIATION PROTEC TIONRisk and emergency management

Response to the 210Po incident in London, November 2006

©He

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Prot

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(UK)

71

Innovative concepts ALISIA 72EISOFAR 74ELSY 76HPLWR Phase 2 78

Education and training ENEN-II 80Safety of existing installations ANTIOXI 82

MAGIC 84NULIFE 86

Infrastructures MTR+I3 88NICODEME 90PLINIUS FP6 92

Cross-cutting SNF-TP 94C

HA

PTER

1M

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AG

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F R

AD

IOA

CTI

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STE

OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELDOF NUCLEARTECHNOLOGIESAND SAFETY

The ALISIA project represents the

European effort to develop liquid

salt technologies for a variety of

innovative nuclear technology applications

including the generation IV molten salt

reactor (MSR). The main objective of ALISIA is

to strengthen the existing European network

of expertise in this area. This will enable

harmonisation of actions and sharing of

results from national programmes on MSR

and other liquid salt applications. In the short

term, ALISIA is the major part of the Euratom

contribution to generation IV activities on the

MSR system.

Attractive characteristics of liquid salts

Liquid salts offer very attractive characteristics with respectto heat transport and heat transfer due to their large heatcapacity, high boiling point and good thermal conductivity.They score high among other fluids such as water, sodiumand gaseous heat transfer media. As well as specificpotential in the molten salt reactor (MSR) concept, eitherfor fuel breeding applications or for actinide burning, thereis a growing interest for the use of liquid salts as a coolantor a heat transport fluid. This renewed interest in liquid andmolten salts has emerged because applications for high-temperature heat now exist, there are changingrequirements for nuclear systems, and liquid salttechnologies have improved.

The ALISIA Specific Support Action is a European initiativeto explore the technical, economic and sustainablepotential of liquid salts for innovative nuclear applications,including the assessment of the viability of MSR concepts.The development of liquid salts is significantly constrainedby the complexity of their behaviour, which is a result oftheir multi-component nature. The long-term perspectiveof the project is to better understand the behaviour andproperties of liquid salts and to proceed towards a

72

predictive approach to make the selection of appropriatesalt compositions easier for any given application.

MOST consortium expanded

Molten salts were first investigated by ORNL (USA) in the1960s and 1970s in the frame of programmes dedicated tothe development of the MSR breeder concept. The resultsaccumulated by ORNL form a reference set of data on liquidsalt properties and their behaviour in general. The MOSTproject, in the Fifth Euratom Framework Programme,revisited MSR technologies and confirmed their potential.MOST also identified the key R&D points to be addressedfor the demonstration of a viable MSR concept.

Following the MOST project, its partners have continued towork together. The ALISIA initiative continues and extendsthe effort initiated in MOST. The consortium involves 15 partners in 9 countries and includes Russia with RRC-KIas a full partner, therefore keeping a tight link with thecomplementary International Science & Technology Centre(ITSC) project #1606. ALISIA also promotes joint trainingactions with this project. The consortium includes all majorinstitutions involved in liquid salts R&D in Europe.

Review of salt properties and MSRroadmap

In order to make European cooperation in the area moretangible, the project will produce a common deliverableconsisting of a review report making recommendations onthe best and most appropriate salt compositions fordifferent nuclear applications.

In addition, ALISIA will issue an updated roadmap at theend of the project that is consistent with the generation IVMSR System Research Plan. The ALISIA project is placedwithin the screening and scoping phase of the current MSRroadmap.

A wide variety of applications

The MSR, with its nuclear fuel dissolved in the molten saltcoolant, is receiving attention because of its advanced salt-coolant technology and the use of novel thermodynamiccycles that improve the economics of operation. Recentadvances in salt chemistry enable the development of fastneutron spectrum MSRs with the safety advantages of largenegative void coefficients. There is also interest in actinide

ASSESSMENT OF LIQUID SALTS FOR INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS

SALT TECHNOLOGY HAS STRONG POTENTIALA

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73

I N F O R M A T I O Nburning where MSRs avoid the need to fabricate fuel elementscontaining highly active actinides outside the reactor.

In the last five years, there has been a rapid growth ininterest in the use of high-temperature (700 to 1000 °C)molten and liquid fluoride salts as coolants and for otherfunctions in nuclear power systems. This interest is aconsequence of new applications for high-temperatureheat and the development of new reactor concepts. The saltcoolants have melting points between 350 and 500 °C andare, therefore, of use only in high-temperature systems.Nitrate salts with a peak operating temperature of around600 °C are the highest temperature commercial liquidcoolant available today. The development of higher-temperature salts as coolants would open new nuclear andnon-nuclear applications. These salts are being consideredfor intermediate heat transport loops within all types ofhigh-temperature reactor systems (helium and salt cooled)and for hydrogen production concepts, oil refineries, andshale oil processing facilities amongst other applications.

Finally, there is a growing interest in liquid-wall fusiondevices that can achieve much higher power densities thansolid-wall fusion devices.

Public events

It is planned that the ALISIA final meeting be widened toorganisations that are not formally partners of the projectincluding those based in the USA, other internationalorganisations and non-nuclear industries.

CoordinatorClaude RenaultDEN/DDIN, CEA SaclayF-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette CedexTel. (33) 1 69 08 63 95Mobile tel. (33) 6 07 81 57 [email protected]


EC Project Officer: Georges Van GoethemEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/47B-1049 BrusselsTel: (32-2) 295 14 24Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

PartnersCentre national de la recherche scientifique, FRÉlectricité de France, FRJoint Research Centre, ITU, EUNuclear Research Institute ŘeŽ, CZSKODA JS a.s, CZEnergovyzkum Ltd, CZNuclear Power Plant Research Institute, SK Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, DEForschungszentrum Rossendorf, DEEnte per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e l’ambiente, ITPolitecnico di Torino, ITBudapest University of Technology and Economics, HUDelft University of Technology, NLKurchatov Institute, RU

OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES AND SAFETYInnovative concepts

The MSR for breeding – a reference concept: MSBR (molten salt breeder reactor)

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The EISOFAR Specific Support

Action (SSA) addresses the fu ture

of sodium-cooled reactor tech no-

logy. It will enable the European nuclear com-

munity to define specific strategic research

objectives for liquid metal-cooled fast reactors

(LMFR). The project has the ambition to be a key

component of a European strategic research

agenda addressing research, development

and technology demonstration (at the pre con -

ceptual stage) for LMFRs. The key objective for

this activity is the preparation of a preliminary

self-standing roadmap for a European sodium-

cooled fast reactor (ESFR).

European competence

Within the context of the management of radioactivewaste, EISOFAR is an essential step to pursue the exploration of the technical, economic and societal potential of nuclear energy generation through sodiumcooled reactor technology using a fast neutron spectrum.This technology will make better use of fissile fuel material and generate less waste.

Three technical breakthrough objectives have been identified. Firstly the identification of a comprehensiveset of preliminary requirements, approaches and strate-gies applicable, in general, to future LMFR systems and in particular to a fourth generation (Gen IV) ESFR. Secondly,the preliminary definition of operational regimes whereappropriate technical solutions can be found to meet thestated requirements for these systems. This activity willinclude the identification of possible design options.Finally the identification of R&D topics for the ESFR and specific Euratom R&D studies will be made. To meetthese objectives the EISOFAR project merges the contributions of 17 partners representing the vast major-ity of European competence on sodium cooled fast reactor technology.

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Sustainable, safe and competitive

After several practical European realisations in recentyears, such as Rapsodie, Phénix, PFR, Superphénix, andEFR, studies on liquid metal-cooled nuclear technologyhave slowed down. However, increased awareness of theneed for energy sustainability, safety, proliferation resist-ance, physical protection and competitiveness is changingattitudes. LMFR technology is recognised among theselected Gen IV systems that have been proposed tospecifically meet these future challenges. Therefore LMFRsystems are undergoing a renaissance requiring a renewedeffort and the need to generate appropriate training andeducational activities.

Besides organising work on the development and thedeployment of this technology, the EISOFAR roadmap willbe an ideal instrument to help communication with thescientific and technical community as well as with thepublic on nuclear power issues. The presence within theproject of a variety of organisations (R&D organisations;suppliers; utilities; universities) is a guarantee of the comprehensive approach to the project’s issues.

Linking requirements to technical potential

The key result of the project is a preliminary self-standingRoadmap for an ESFR. The logic and the ambition of the project are essentially to achieve a synthesis between the different national requirements and the preferred technicalsolutions. The goal is to attain a common agreed view on thecharacteristics of a technology which will be essential toguarantee a future sustainable energy supply for Europe.

The expected technical results of the project are to agreerequirements, approaches and strategies that are essential todrive the work of researchers, designers and suppliers offuture LMFR-ESFR nuclear power plants. The project will alsowork on feasibility domains that will bring the certainty thatplant requirements remain compatible with the potential ofthe technology. Finally, EISOFAR will define a European R&Dprogramme which will be, on the one side, compatible bothwith the widely agreed requirements and the identified fea-sibility domains and, on the other hand, complementary tothe research work that has already been undertaken.Formulating the research pro gramme will give the opportu-nity to check the appropriateness of these efforts and to dis-cuss and decide on their priority.

ROADMAP FOR A EUROPEAN INNOVATIVE SODIUM-COOLED FAST REACTOR

SODIUM FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGYEI

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I N F O R M A T I O NBoosting long-term nuclear contribution

In alignment with the objectives of the Gen IV nuclear sys-tems, the main EISOFAR SSA impact will be the contribu-tion directed to organise the acceptability by stakeholdersof ESFR technology, to demonstrate the competitivenessof the concept and to prove the potential of the systems forlong-term and sustainable energy production: essentialpre-conditions to guarantee economic stability.

Europe possesses some of the most important know-howand expertise on sodium-cooled reactor technology. EISOFAR, and the activities that will follow it, represents aunique opportunity to bring together and merge thisknowledge within the context of a new common vision,and to create a European partner network of R&D in thefield of sodium-cooled fast reactors. The project is comple-mentary to a number of related FP6 projects on Gen IV systems. The EISOFAR project is also strongly related toworldwide activities on sodium-cooled technology fornuclear plants.

Public events

Information meetings are planned with organisations out-side the consortium and an international disseminationworkshop will be held at the end of the project.

CoordinatorGian Luigi FioriniCEA/DEN/DERCadaracheF-13108 St-Paul-lez-DuranceTel. (33) 440 25 46 02Fax (33) 442 25 48 [email protected]


EC Project Officer: Georges Van GoethemEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/47B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 14 24Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

Partners Cesi Ricerca, ITEmpresarios Agrupados, ESÉlectricité de France, FREnergovyzkum, CZAREVA NP, FRForschungszentrum Karlsruhe, DEEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre (ITU, IPSC , IE)Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group, NLNuclear Research Institute, CZ Nexia Solutions, UKAMEC NNC, UKENEA, IT ENDESA, ESPaul Sherrer Institute, CHUniversity of Karlsruhe, DEUniversity of Rome – La Sapienza, IT


Integral-type ESFR

Loop-type ESFR

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The ELSY project aims to demonstrate that it is possible todesign a competitive and safe

molten lead-cooled fast critical reactor thatcomplies with all fourth generation (Gen IV)nuclear reactor goals and gives assurance of investment protection using simple engineered technical features.

Gen IV lead-cooled reactor

The GIF (Generation IV International Forum) members haveevaluated nuclear power plant designs and systems on the basis of four goal areas and eight specific goals. The lead fastreactor (LFR) has been selected for its potential, but the consortium proposing the ELSY project considers that none ofthe LFR projects presented so far exploits the full potential ofthe LFR, although single LFR-specific features may be embodied in each of them.

The ELSY consortium intends to design an LFR system thatcomplies with all Gen IV reactor goals and gives assurance forinvestment protection. This will be achieved by specific engineered solutions that exploit the very favourable featuresof the molten lead concept. These features may facilitate theplant design, but they also require further innovation owingto the unique characteristics of molten lead compared toother better-characterised reactor coolants such as sodium orwater. The experience acquired by the consortium in designingsodium- or water-cooled reactors and also the experiencegained from the ongoing sub-critical reactor design developments, for example accelerator-driven systems (ADS),will be the basic premise for the analysis of the candidatetechnical solutions for molten lead-cooled fast reactors.

Design and define

The ELSY design will draw heavily from the outline programmethat the LFR Steering Committee of Gen IV has proposed forthe development of an LFR concept. The first steps of thisprogramme consist of a preliminary reactor design, basic R&Dand technology confirmation and component testing. TheELSY activity covers the preliminary reactor design and a fewkey issues of the basic R&D.

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The consortium partners will produce conceptual and preliminary designs of an economical, safe, closed-fuel-cycle LFR satisfying both Gen IV and European needs forwaste management of minor, high-activity actinides. A limited R&D programme will be implemented to addressthe selected design options, focusing on a few critical areas. A significant feature will be the definition of a mid-term R&Dprogramme to confirm the proposed features of the ELSY design.

Burn capability demonstrated

The main results of the ELSY project will be the demonstration of the capability of a LFR to “burn” the minoractinides that it generates during its own operation. The project will also demonstrate the possibility to designa LFR characterised by low investment risk and low capitalcost. The activity to assess the capability of the LFR to burnits own minor actinides is currently ongoing. To reduce thepotential investment risk, the design under developmentwill be characterised by the potential to replace all the system components (with the exception of the main reactorvessel) if needed during the plant lifetime.

Simplicity and compactness will be the basic features of theLFR plant to reduce its capital cost. The elimination of an intermediate cooling loop is the main basis for simplicity.Compactness is required especially for the reactor buildingand the primary reactor system. This has already beendemonstrated by the small dimensions (typical the reducedsize of the steam generator) of the power train and othercomponents. Primary system compactness is being soughtthrough innovative configurations currently under evaluation, the objective being to reduce the volume of theprimary system per unit power by a factor of two with respect to the best available international LFR project of similar power rating. Preliminary assessments of the ELSYconfiguration indicate that the use of a 2D anti-seismic support for the reactor building is sufficient to meet seismicsafety criteria in the European operational context, in spiteof the high mass of lead required.

Smaller, competitive nuclear power

Power generation by means of nuclear plants is at presentan important contribution to total electricity generationand continues to be an essential option for the future in Europe and worldwide. The crucial issue of nuclear power,

EUROPEAN LEAD-COOLED SYSTEM

HEAVY METAL FOR COMPACT REACTOREL

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I N F O R M A T I O Nhowever, is that it should simultaneously be competitive, reliable, sustainable, safe, and perceived as safe by the public. In particular it should be able to adequately manageany long-lived radioactive waste that it produces.

The reactor to be developed during ELSY will be a fast, lead-cooled, critical reactor with a number of innovative featuresthat fully exploit the nuclear and thermal-hydraulic properties of molten lead. Such a reactor would be able togenerate sustainable, environmentally compatible electricityand would represent a major step towards future, commercial nuclear generation. This has enormous potentialimpact in all fields concerned with nuclear and energy science and technology with a predictably large impact alsoon everyday public life.

Public events

Papers on the project were presented to the InternationalCongress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants in Nice,France, in May 2007 and will be given to the European Nuclear Conference in September 2007 in Brussels.

CoordinatorFranco RosatelliAnsaldo RicercheCorso Perrone, 25I-16152 GenovaTel. (39) 01 06 55 83 35Fax (39) 01 07 49 08 [email protected]://88.149.184.27/ELSYW



Partners AGH, Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza, PLCESI Ricerca SpA, ITInter Universities Consortium for Nuclear Technological Research, ITCentre national de la recherche scientifique, FREmpresarios Agrupados Internacional S.A., ESÉlectricité de France, FREnte per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e l'ambiente, ITForschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH, DEInstitute for Nuclear Research, ROJoint Research Centre of the European Commission, EURoyal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SENuclear Research and Consultancy Group, NLUstav jaderneho vyzkumu ŘeŽ, a.s. (Nuclear Research Institute ŘeŽ, plc), CZPaul Scherrer Institut, CHStudiecentrum voor Kernenergie/Centre d'étude de l'énergie nucléaire, BESeoul National University, KRDel Fungo Giera Energia S.p.A., ITMassachusetts Institute of Technology, USAKorea Electric Engineering and Science Research Institute, KR


Primary system of ELSY with anchored safety vessel and 2D anti-seismic isolators

© EL

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Supercritical water is the state-of-

the-art coolant for modern coal-

fired power plants. By increasing

the system pressure to supercritical conditions,

the size of key components has been reduced

and higher plant efficiencies obtained. This, in

turn, has significantly reduced the construction

cost of fossil-fuel power plants leading to lower

electricity generation costs for the European

market. The High-performance Light-water

Reactor Phase 2 (HPLWR Phase 2) project will

explore the specific advantages of supercritical

water concepts and apply them to the latest

light-water nuclear reactor technology. As for

the coal-fired power plants, cost reductions are

envisaged for a high-performance light-water

reactor using supercritical water as coolant.

Technical feasibility

HPLWR Phase 2 builds on results obtained during the previous FP5 project HPLWR and is focused on assessingthe main scientific issues and the technical feasibility of ahigh-performance light-water reactor operating undersupercritical pressure. The HPLWR should be more economical than conventional light-water reactors due toa higher efficiency and better fuel utilisation. The conceptsshould also produce less radioactive waste per kWh ofpower generated. In addition, the design is intended tofulfil the very high safety standards of third generationnuclear plants.

An independent HPLWR advisory board has also beenestablished. Close links to research and development activities are maintained mainly through the Generation IVInternational Forum (GIF). In addition, links to relevantinternational and FP6 projects will be established.

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Evolution and efficiency

The project represents an evolutionary step in light-waterreactor technologies. The plant characteristics of a HPLWRincludes a supercritical coolant pressure of around 25 MPawith the coolant heat increased from 280 °C to more than500 °C. Under these conditions, water changes its phasecontinuously from liquid to steam without boiling. Thismeans that issues such as a boiling crisis in the core thatcan destroy the fuel pins, is physically impossible. As in aboiling-water reactor system, the high-temperature steamis fed directly to a high-pressure turbine. This means thatthe closed primary cycle used in a pressurised-water reactor can be omitted. Steam separators and primarypumps are also not required for the HPLWR.

The high-steam heat content increases the power densityof the steam cycle by more than 40 %. The envisaged netefficiency of 44 % for the HPLWR is far greater than con-ventional light-water reactor designs. Most of the engi-neering components of the HPLWR steam cycle can betaken from fossil-fuel-fired power plants, where they havebeen successfully in operation for many years. The designlifetime of the entire plant is proposed to be 60 years.

The project is initially focused on assessing the reactordesign and its nuclear core behaviour under both normaland accident conditions. Primary interest is on developinga thermal reactor, but an alternative study on a fast-neu-tron option will also be carried out. Safety systems will beassessed for compatibility with the current EuropeanUtility Requirements, and a concept for the balance-of-plant will be completed for the final assessment of feasibil-ity and economics for the HPLWR concept.

The design and analysis work will be supported by corro-sion, creep and stress corrosion tests of candidate claddingalloys under expected operational conditions. Numericalstudies of heat transfer of supercritical water will give con-fidence in predicting peak cladding temperatures. A laterin-pile experiment on the radiolysis and water chemistryof supercritical water will also be prepared.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIGHT-WATER REACTOR PHASE 2

EXTRACTING MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE FROM LWR TECHNOLOGY

HPL

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79

I N F O R M A T I O NA suitable concept of the HPLWR

The project will provide:

• conceptual layouts of the plant including core, reactorpressure vessel (RPV) components and balance-of-plant;

• refined economic assessment;

• analysis of the thermal core for neutronic, thermalhydraulic and mechanical aspects;

• decision on the feasibility of the fast-core option;

• concept of safety system needed to fulfil the EuropeanUtility Requirements and assessment of the safety systemby simulations of accidents and transients with improvedsafety codes;

• selection of tested materials and data for fuel rodcladding, core and RPV materials and specifications forthe water chemistry;

• numerical heat-transfer modelling and derived correlations;

• evaluation of the concept for environmental impact,resource utilisation and proliferation resistance.

HPLWR Phase 2 is cooperating in the GIF research programme on supercritical water reactors (SCWR) andconstitutes the Euratom input to GIF activities in this area.

Educational benefits

Education of young scientists and doctorate students playsan important role in the project. HPLWR Phase 2 is one ofthe most relevant projects to maintain European compe-tence in light-water reactor technologies. These skills areneeded by vendors, utilities and licensing organisations tosafely operate current light-water reactors both now and inthe future. Doctorate students are directly involved in theresearch work as ‘training on the job’. A special workshopfor students will be held in 2008 and special lectures arebeing prepared for students at universities with possibleinvolvement of the European Nuclear EngineeringNetwork.

Public events

The HPLWR Phase 2 project will be presented at a numberof international conferences.

CoordinatorJörg StarflingerForschungszentrum KarlsruheHermann-von-Helmholz-Platz 1D-76344 Eggenstein-LeopoldshafenTel. (49-72) 47 82-3445Fax (49-72) 47 [email protected]



Partners Commissariat à l'énergie atomique, FRAREVA NP, DEUniversität Stuttgart, DEKFKI Atomic Energy Research Institute, HUKungliga Tekniska Högskolan, SENuclear Research and Consultancy Group, NLPaul Scherrer Institut, CHUstav jaderneho vyzkumu ŘeŽ, CZVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, FI


The ENEN-II project will consoli-

date the results and achieve-

ments obtained by the European

Nuclear Education Network Association

(ENEN) and its partners during the ENEN (FP5)

and NEPTUNO (FP6) projects. It will expand

ENEN into activities such as radiation pro tec-

tion, radiochemistry, radioecology and the

geological disposal of radioactive waste with

the aim of attracting universities and faculties

active in these fields. The project will extend

ENEN from academic education into profes-

sional training, stre ngthening cooperation

with industry, regulatory bodies and other

networks for nuclear education and training.

Boosting education, training and mobility

The ENEN-II project involves three groups of consortiumpartners. The first group consists of 22 members of theENEN Association (18 universities and four research insti-tutes) the majority of these organisations having con-tributed to the ENEN and NEPTUNO projects. The secondgroup is composed of eight partners with internationalreputations for radiation protection, analytical radio-chemistry and radioecology. The third group bringstogether nine universities with an interest in educationand research on management, underground storage andgeological disposal of radioactive waste and six organi-zations involved in research and management ofradioactive waste.

The major objectives of the project are the developmentof a Master of Science curriculum in these nuclear disci-plines, their mutual recognition throughout the Eu -ropean Higher Education Area, and the testing of education and training modules in pilot sessions.Following on from developments in the NEPTUNO project, teacher and student mobility schemes will befurther implemented and optimised.

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Consolidate, extend, expand

ENEN-II will implement the education and training modules developed in the past few years and tested during the pilot sessions. It will apply course evaluation criteria to the actual course and training performance, tak-ing into account feedback from the participants and otherstakeholders. Consolidation of scattered websites, data-bases and course information in an accessible communica-tion and knowledge management system including theNEPTUNO communication system will be undertaken. Thisalso covers testing in practice, and in collaboration withaccreditation authorities, the mutual recognition schemesfor academic education in nuclear disciplines.

The project will extend its activities outside the academiceducation area into professional and vocational training.This will strengthen the interactions between universities,research centres, training organisations and industry to make training offers that are responsive to industryneeds and enhance mutual recognition of professionalqualifications across Europe. Making better use of EU toolsto increase mobility of students and professionals innuclear disciplines is also covered in this area andstrengthening the links with nuclear education and training networks outside Europe. A viable Erasmusscheme for a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering within the ENEN Association will also be developed.

ENEN-II will expand beyond the disciplines related to nuclear power plant engineering into a broader area including disciplines in support of reactor safety, radiation protection, radioactive waste management, radiochemistry, decommissioning, and industrial applica-tions of nuclear technologies. The needs for education,training and skills development in other areas will also beaddressed. In particular, concerns from industry and regu-latory authorities relating to perceived deficits at mastersand doctorate levels within nuclear radiological protec-tion, radioecology and radiochemistry will be addressed.These strategic skills are very important for the mainte-nance of European nuclear operations and safety.

Reports, courses and quality

The project has 56 project deliverables produced throughseven work packages. Around half of the deliverables areprogress reports on coordination activities. One quarter ofthe deliverables cover pilot and demonstration sessions

EUROPEAN NUCLEAR EDUCATION NETWORK II

CONSOLIDATION OF EDUCATION, TRAINING ANDKNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

ENEN

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I N F O R M A T I O Nfor new courses and training packages, while 20 % consistof newly developed concepts. Five reports will deal withquality assurance aspects of the products and deliverablesin the project. Finally, four reports will summarise the project and resources management.

European area for nuclear training

Due to the nature and scope of the ENEN-II project, theexploitation of its results affects the whole European‘nuclear’ community. European universities, students innuclear fields, nuclear professionals, training centres,nuclear operators, regulators and research institutions,together with related international organisations are thepotential customers and beneficiaries of the project.

The project will result in consolidation of a sustainableEuropean Area of Higher Education and Training coveringnuclear engineering, nuclear safety, radiation protection,analytical radiochemistry, radioecology, and radioactivewaste management and disposal. This will contribute tothe preservation of nuclear knowledge in Europe andmake it more accessible.

Public events

The ENEN website and the database www.neptuno-cs.deon courses and training sessions are available to the public.The European Master of Science in Nuclear Engineeringand activities by ENEN have been covered on Spanish TVand at the International Youth Conference on Energy 2007in Budapest, Hungary, where there was a dedicated ‘ENENsession’.

CoordinatorPeter De ReggeSecretary GeneralEuropean Nuclear Education Network (ENEN) AssociationCentre CEA de Saclay - Bât. 395F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette CedexTel. (33) 169 08 34 21 or (32-14) 33 34 47Fax (33) 169 08 99 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Coordination ActionProject start date: 01/10/2006Duration: 24 monthsTotal budget: EUR 1 242 000EC contribution: EUR 1 150 000


Partners European Nuclear Education Network Association (ENEN Association) • MiddlesexUniversity, UK • University College Dublin, IE • Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO •Westlakes Research Ltd, UK • Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety, FR • LundUniversity, SE • European Underground Research Infrastructure for Disposal of NuclearWaste in a Clay Environment, BE • Consorzio interuniversitario per la ricerca tecnologicanucleare, IT • Institut national polytechnique de Lorraine, FR • Agence nationale pour lagestion des déchets radioactifs, FR • Technische Universität Clausthal, DE • École polytech-nique, FR • Radioactive Waste Repository Authority, CZ • Universidade da Corunia, ES •Posiva, FI • Gesellschaft für Nuklear Service, DE • Deutsche Gesellschaft zum Bau und Triebvon Endlagern für Abfallstoffe, DE • Institut national des sciences et techniques nucléaires,FR • Helsinki University of Technology, FI • University Politehnica Bucharest, RO •Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, ES • Jozef Stefan Institute, SI • Czech Technical University– Civil Engineering & Geotechnics, CZ • Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie/Centre d’étude del’énergie nucléaire, BE • University of Ljubljana, SI • HMS Sultan, UK

Third parties represented by ENEN Association:Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, BE • Université catholique de Louvain, BE • TechnischeUniversität Wien – Atominstitut, AT • Delft University of Technology, NL • Swiss FederalInstitute of Technology, CH • Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, SE • Czech Technical University,CZ • Budapest University of Technology and Economics, HU • Slovak University ofTechnology in Bratislava, SK • Institute for Safety and Reliability, DE • University of Stuttgart,DE • Ustav jaderného vyzkumu, CZ • University of Liège, BE • University of Sevilla,ES • Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, ES

OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES AND SAFETYEducation and training

Seminar on 4th Generation Nuclear Reactor Systems for the Future, 8-12 October 2007, Saclay, France

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The overall objective of the

ANTIOXI project is to construct a

deterministic predictive model for

radioactive activity build-up and corrosion

phenomena in nuclear power plants (NPP). The

model will be based on an improved

mechanistic understanding and tested against

real-life activity and chemistry data from

selected light-water reactors (LWRs). The

purpose of this model is to quantify activity

build-up rates in present and future nuclear

power plants in Europe and to predict trends

in these rates. These data will provide a more

comprehensive basis for the planning of

support actions for maintenance personnel.

Industry expertise for improvedunderstanding

Three organisations (VTT Technical Research Centre ofFinland, ALARA Engineering AB and BG H2 Society) allworking actively in the field of nuclear energy are involved inthe ANTOXI project. VTT and BG H2 Society share the sameinterest in modelling oxide film behaviour in different processconditions, while ALARA Engineering has a long history inmonitoring of nuclear reactor components and envi -ronments. The ANTIOXI project combines their currentknowledge of nuclear power plant chemistry, activity build-up and material behaviour with extensive theoreticalmodelling in these environments to develop safer and moreuser-friendly tools for maintaining power plants.

The achievement of an integrated activity build-up andcorrosion model would represent an innovative concept forimproved exploitation and safety of nuclear energy. Themodel will enable the deterministic prediction of activityincorporation and corrosion phenomena in real-timesimulation during nuclear power plant operation. This willprovide information on new and modified water chemistriesthat could be implemented in nuclear power plants and

82

represents a superior and advanced solution compared tocurrent empirical engineering approaches.

Focus on primary circuit

Activity incorporation on construction material surfaces innuclear power plant environments is a potential safety riskfor personnel during maintenance and shutdown periods. Inorder to estimate the amounts of activity present in differentparts of the primary circuit in a nuclear power plant, theinteraction between the coolant containing the radioactivespecies and construction materials has to be known. Thisknowledge is a prerequisite for safe and reliable maintenanceof the primary circuit components.

The new integrated activity build-up and corrosion modelwill lead to improved nuclear power plant management interms of understanding ageing of components in contactwith the coolant. It represents a tool for advanced numericalsimulation that will lead to improved planning of support,service, decontamination and decommissioning actions byplant personnel. The success of its predictive abilities will leadto an enhanced and more economically viable schedule forservice personnel during plant shutdowns and outages. Thiswill ultimately contribute to improved safety of the existingnuclear power installations.

Better model for maintenance and safety

The main result of the project will be a model that candescribe the material/oxide film/coolant system in variousparts of the primary circuit of different reactor types (see diagram).

A DETERMINISTIC MODEL FOR CORROSION AND ACTIVITY INCORPORATIONIN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

INCREASED SAFETY DURING REACTOR MAINTENANCE

AN

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In ANTIOXI theoretical oxide film modelling is combined with realnuclear power plant processes in order to understand the phenomenaaffecting activity incorporation and corrosion.

83

I N F O R M A T I O NThe model will take into account the behaviour of differentconstruction materials at different locations within theprimary circuit in a deterministic way. The advantage of thisapproach is that in the case of maintenance the activity levelsin specific parts of the reactor circuit can be better estimatedand the appropriate precautions adopted when the materialand chemistry conditions are known. Also the effects ofchanges in chemistry parameters on corrosion and activityincorporation can be better evaluated.

Extending reactor life safely

Nuclear power is one of the most important sources ofelectricity in Europe. Plant lifetime and safety issues play acrucial role in determining the future usage of this energysource. A considerable effort has been made to ensure safeand reliable control of power plants which includes betterunderstanding of the processes related to radiation andactivity build-up.

The results of the research project will have a high chance ofimplementation in real power plant environments to ensuretheir safe operation. As ANTIOXI will adapt and modifyexisting and forthcoming results from national researchprojects in Finland and Sweden, the connection betweenANTIOXI and national programmes is clear. In return, theresults from the ANTIOXI project will be delivered to theappropriate steering groups of national research pro -grammes. ANTIOXI results will also be disseminated viascientific and conference publications as well as publicreports directed to the national nuclear safety boards. Theactivities of ANTIOXI will be of interest to national regulatoryorganisations that play a crucial role in determining actionsfor decreasing activity incorporation in nuclear power plantsacross Europe.

CoordinatorPetri KinnunenVTT Technical Research Centre of FinlandKemistintie 3FI-02044 EspooTel. (358-20) 722 53 75Fax (358-20) 722 58 [email protected]/proj/antioxi/index.jsp

Project detailsProject type: Specific Targeted Research ProjectProject start date: 01/11/2006Duration: 24 monthsTotal budget: EUR 401 000EC contribution: EUR 200 000

EC Project Officer: Marc DeffrennesEuropean CommissionDirectorate-General for ResearchUnit J. 2 – FissionCDMA 1/55B-1049 BrusselsTel. (32-2) 296 00 62Fax (32-2) 295 49 91

PartnersALARA Engineering, SEBG H2 Society, BG

OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES AND SAFETYSafety of existing installations

The MAGIC project is a two-year

coordination action that mainly

focuses on long-term ageing

mechanisms of instrumentation and control

(I&C) equipment installed in European nuclear

plants. In particular, MAGIC will collate utilities’

requirements and study opportunities to

develop diagnostic tools that could measure

these ageing mechanisms. MAGIC will also

develop training materials in order to maintain

an adequate knowledge of the issues for plant

staff with respect to I&C long-term ageing.

Instrumental to availability

I&C systems represent a critical part of the equipment in anuclear power plant. Many I&C systems are directly safety-related, for example the reactor protection system. The re-liability of I&C equipment has a major impact on the availability of plant for power production. A number ofpower utilities have experienced plant shutdowns after electronic failures due to ageing of I&C components.

Moreover, if ageing phenomena are not properly anticipated, repair and refurbishment costs may be prohibitive due to increased plant downtime and a lack ofpreparation for any renovation works. There is therefore acommon need to understand, monitor and anticipategeneric I&C ageing mechanisms as soon as possible.

Sharing knowledge

The MAGIC coordination action gathers together nuclearutilities and experienced instrumentation engineers with theobjective of helping maintain the desirable reliability levelof I&C systems in current nuclear power plants during theirremaining lifetime. This will support the critical objectives ofmaintaining safety and availability of plants.

In order to achieve this objective the MAGIC consortium willtry to develop a homogeneous understanding and sharingof knowledge amongst European nuclear utilities and

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concerned scientists about the prevailing ageing mechanisms of I&C equipment. A web-based database willbe developed and will contain details of the main genericageing mechanisms that have been observed during thenormal use of equipment. The I&C components analysiswill be achieved by considering the following families ofcomponents: cables, sensors, servo-drivers, electronic components and connectors.

Understanding the ageing process

For cable ageing, some of the main mechanisms identifiedare oxidative radiation and thermal degradation activatedby the radiation and temperature inside the reactor building. To monitor this ageing mechanism, research efforts will be undertaken to develop new advanced diag-nostic tools. One useful advanced tool is oxidative inductiontime or temperature, which has been recently used by anumber of European utilities.

Electronic equipment has various types of components in-cluding semiconductors, optoelectronics, capacitors, resistances and printed circuit boards. Some of these com-ponents are considered as consumables and maintenancepolicies plan to replace periodically such components, forexample the capacitors. But what about long-term ageingfor all the other components? MAGIC will address this question including gaining better understanding of ageingmechanisms such as the ‘tin whiskers’ mechanism (seephoto). In particular the project will investigate how such

MANAGEMENT OF AGEING OF I&C EQUIPMENTS IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

UNDERSTANDING AGEING OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMSM

AGIC


Whisker 1

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I N F O R M A T I O Nmechanisms are activated. Finally, in order to manage theageing process of I&C equipments within normal use conditions in nuclear power plants, MAGIC will create a European network of partners. Its mission will be to shareutilities’ know-how and scientific knowledge about I&C ageing mechanisms, follow-up indicators and appropriatemethodologies and tools to measure these indicators. Existing and advanced tools will be shared, and feasibilitystudies for new developments for diagnostic tools and monitoring will be performed. The actual development ofthese new tools will be undertaken outside this coordinationaction. MAGIC will also develop a pilot training programmeto ensure that the knowledge of operational and maintenance staff in nuclear power plants is maintainedand that issues on I&C ageing are managed using best practise techniques.

Safe and secure

The research work undertaken in MAGIC is of importance tothe continuing safe operation of Europe’s nuclear powerplants. Nuclear power represents a significant portion ofEuropean electricity and the continuing availability of thisnon carbon dioxide producing, base-load source is vital toreach European commitments on greenhouse gas emissiontargets and to ensure security of energy supply to businessand domestic consumers.

Public events

A MAGIC project workshop is to be held in Paris in March 2008.

CoordinatorLaurent DoireauEDFAv. des RenardièresF-77818 Moret-sur-Loing Cedex Tel. (33) 1 60 73 79 69Fax (33) 1 60 73 5 [email protected]



Partners NRI Řež plc, CZBritish Energy, UKTVO, FIVTT, FIENSEIRB, FRSIIT, LTAREVA, FR


Whisker 2

The NULIFE Network of Ex -

cellence has a clear focus

on integrating safety-oriented

research on materials, structures and systems

and exploiting the results of this integration

through the production of harmonised

lifetime assessment methods for nuclear

power plants. NULIFE will help provide a

better common understanding of the factors

affecting the lifetime of nuclear power plants

which, together with associated management

methods, will help facilitate extensions to the

safe and economic lifetime of existing nuclear

reactors. In addition, NULIFE will help in the

development of design criteria for future

generations of nuclear power plants.

Plant life prediction

NULIFE (Nuclear Plant Life Prediction) is a Network of Excel-lence funded through Euratom FP6 together with in-kindcontributions from its participants. The network is made upof 10 work package leader organisations (contractors) together with 27 associate contributors. The project is led byVTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland) and the projecthas a total budget of more than EUR 8 million.

The project’s partners are drawn from leading research institutions, technical support organisations, power com-panies and manufacturers throughout Europe. NULIFEstarted in October 2006 and will work over a 5-year periodto create a single organisational structure that is capable ofproviding harmonised R&D at the European level to the nuclear power industry and its related safety authorities inthe area of lifetime evaluation methods for structural components of nuclear power plants. These methods are applicable to both existing operational nuclear plant and to establish design criteria for future generations of reactor systems.

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Best practise and procedures

The demand for lifetime evaluation methods in Europe isdriven by the need to maintain safety margins for nuclearpower plants over extended operational lifetimes. NULIFE isan innovative approach to coordinate currently fragmentedEuropean research in this complex, multidisciplinary area.Such research requires a complete understanding of how the interaction between ageing mechanisms, envi-ronmental effects, loading effects and other factors, such asreactor water chemistry, impacts on safety relevant systems,structures and components.

The ability of the network to deliver procedures and bestpractice documents on ageing issues will be an importantmeasure of the network’s impact.

At the highest level, the NULIFE network will support the development of a European Common Safety JustificationFramework. Since lifetime management tools are only oneelement in such a framework, the development of this important framework will also require support from otherstakeholders, however the broad composition of the network is a major advantage for this aspect of the work.

Better decisions by utilities and regulators

The NULIFE vision is to create a virtual pan-European institutethat works as an integrated research technology develop-ment platform embracing all European stakeholders. Thisorganisation would also facilitate the improved and efficientuse of public and private research funding.

NUCLEAR PLANT LIFE PREDICTION

A NETWORK FOR ALL ASPECTS OF PLANT LIFE MANAGEMENT

NU

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The path towards the vision

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I N F O R M A T I O NThe NULIFE platform will be a sustainable forum for realisingharmonised technical procedures for the nuclear energy industry and European regulators and should act as a central service provider and a source of qualified expertiseand excellence.

The planning of the R&D programme has already been startedby a dedicated end-user group and the research topics of preliminary interest have been determined. By providing research excellence and fostering common approaches innuclear power plant lifetime prediction, NULIFE will contribute to the electric power utilities’ decision-making interms of plant operation and investments. Safety authoritieswill also benefit from the knowledge in their duties to grantplant licenses for the continued operation of plants.

Safer plant - now and in the future

A unified approach to nuclear power plant lifetime predic-tions will help further improve the safety cases for plantlifetime extension and assist reliable design for future powerstations. The joint understanding by utilities and safety authorities will enable improved decision making and boost investment confidence in the nuclear industry. It shouldalso boost public confidence in the safety of existing andplanned nuclear power plants.

Accurate and safe determination of plant lifetime exten-sion has implications for improving current and future se-curity of energy supply in Europe and for action on climatechange through target achievement on greenhouse gasemissions through reduced reliance on fossil-fuel-basedpower generation.

Public events

NULIFE will organise training courses and summer schoolsand participate in conferences.

CoordinatorRauno RintamaaVTT Technical Research Centre of FinlandVuorimiehentie 3PO box 1000FI-02044 VTTTel. (358-20) 722 68 79Fax (358-20) 722 70 [email protected]://nulife.vtt.fi

Project detailsProject type: Network of ExcellenceProject start date: 01/10/2006Duration: 60 monthsTotal budget: EUR 8 400 000EC contribution: EUR 5 000 000


Partners Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie/Centre d'étude de l'énergie nucléaire, BEUstav jaderneho vyzkumu ŘeŽ a.s./Nuclear Research Institute ŘeŽ plc, CZCommissariat à L'énergie atomique, FRÉlectricité de France, FRAREVA NP, DEEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Energy, NLBritish Energy Generation Ltd, UKSerco Ltd, UKForsmark Kraftgrupp AB, SE


Advanced testing facilities of materials performance

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Assessing the behaviour and

characteristics of material and fuel

under irradiation conditions is a key

field for supporting existing nuclear power

reactors and future reactors. Results from this

research helps to demonstrate safety cases, forms

the basis for the extension of operational lifetimes

and economic optimisation of operation for

power plants amongst other tasks. Material tes-

ting reactors (MTRs) are needed to carry out such

studies. The MTR+I3 project is an Integrated In-

frastructure Initiative to reinforce European

experimental capabilities for testing material and

fuel under irradiation.

Improving capability and competence

The key goal of the project is to build durable cooperationbetween material testing reactor (MTR) operators and relevant laboratories that can maintain European leadershipwith up-dated capabilities and competences. The projectwill improve and structure services for researchers with coordinated developments and optimised uses of existingMTRs. It will prepare for the future by implementing the Jules Horowitz Reactor (JHR) and subsequent comple-mentary research reactors.

The MTR+I3 consortium is composed of 18 partners with ahigh level of expertise in irradiation-related services for alltypes of existing and future European nuclear plants as wellas those with an interest in transmutation research for wastemanagement.

Innovative test devices

MTR+I3 will cover networking activities that foster integration of the MTR community involved in designing,fabricating and operating irradiation devices through information exchange, know-how cross-fertilisation, exchanges of interdisciplinary personnel, structuring of key-technology suppliers and professional training.

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The network will produce best practice guidelines for selected irradiation activities. Transnational accesses to the MTRs within the consortium will be organisedthrough joint research activities (JRAs) with these tests be-ing technically and financially assessed by a transnationalaccess committee.

JRAs focusing on the development and fabrication of innovative test devices that improve existing MTR experimental capabilities are envisaged. The JRAs will address safety issues, management of ageing and optimi-sation of current power plants, fast-neutron reactors with associated fuel cycle (sustainability, actinide manage-ment), and technologies for high-temperature reactors (hydrogen economy).

Loops for materials behaviour

MTRs are flexible research infrastructures able to reproducedifferent reactor environments that mimic many plant con-figurations. In addition to high neutron flux capability thataccelerates ageing of materials, they offer the ability tomanage several highly instrumented experiments simulta-neously. They are widely used for screening and/or qualify-ing materials and fuel for existing power reactors and for fu-ture reactors.

The main outcome of the JRAs will be the preparation forimplementation of future joint irradiation programmes withcommon tools and practices using a second generation

INTEGRATED INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE FOR MATERIAL TESTING REACTORS INNOVATION

REINFORCING EUROPE’S MATERIALS TESTING CAPABILITIESM

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The material testing reactor OSIRIS

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I N F O R M A T I O NEuropean MTR such as the JHR. The joint activities will be disseminated to end-users proactively using the opportunityto join a networking activity (such as qualification test definition and funding in the consortium’s existing MTRs). Inparallel, training on the new MTR’s capabilities and serviceswill be offered.

The JRA will produce knowledge on MTR loop designs andwill develop some components and instrumentation forthese loops. In particular loops will be developed for studying materials behaviour under controlled mechanicalloads and corrosion; for optimisation and improvement ofreactor fuel; for the development of future reactors withnovel coolants (including helium, supercritical water, lead orsodium) that produce reduced waste with better fuel utili-sation; and instrumentation for safety testing. Some of thesedevelopments will be tested out-of pile. In-pile qualificationsof JRA prototypes, which fall outside the scope of the exist-ing MTR+I3 budget, will require end-user commitment foradditional financial support to develop the proposed inno-vations.

Strategic capacity improved

MTR+I3 will improve existing European MTR services andprepares the next generation of research infrastructures byenlarging the MTR community, improving networks, sup-porting joint technological developments, and optimisingthe use of existing MTR. It overcomes the present situationof fragmented resources and low investments in hardwareand competences and reinforces existing European exper-imental capabilities.

This will boost Europe’s strategic capacity for safety, plant lifemanagement and economical optimisation of existing andfuture power plants, innovative fuel and material develop-ments for future reactors including less waste/better use ofresources. This long-term initiative will also help to attract ayoung generation of scientists and engineers that will become the future European experts and managers.

Public events

A public web portal is under construction and a specificMTR+I3 brochure will be created at the end of the project.

CoordinatorFrédéric SerreCommissariat à l’énergie atomiqueBât. 212F-13108 [email protected]

Project detailsProject type: Integrated Infrastructure InitiativeProject start date: 01/10/2006Duration: 36 monthsTotal budget: EUR 5 918 616EC contribution: EUR 3 500 000


Partners Atominstitut der Österreichischen Universitäten, ATAssociation Vinçotte Nucléaire/Associatie Vinçotte Nucleair, BECentro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, ESGesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, DEInstitut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire, FRInstituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, PTEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, DEUniversität Karlsruhe (Technische Hochschule), DEHungarian Academy of Sciences, KFKI Atomic Energy Research Institute, HUNational Centre for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’, ELNuclear Research and Consultancy Group, NLPaul Scherrer Institute, CHStudiecentrum voor Kernenergie – Centre d’études de l’énergie nucléaire, BEStudsvik Nuclear AB, SERegia Autonoma pentru Activitati Nucleare/Sucursala Cercetari Nucleare, ROUstav jaderneho vyzkumu ŘeŽ/Nuclear Research Institute, CZTechnical Research Centre of Finland, FI

OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES AND SAFETYInfrastructures

The NICODEME project is an

initiative that opens access to the

extensive research facilities at

EDF Group near Fontainebleau in France.

Specifically it will allow researchers and

manufacturers from across Europe to work

with two large-scale thermal-hydraulic faci -

lities that allow the execution of some unique

test configurations. This will boost knowledge

and confidence in the behaviour of current

nuclear plant components and help the

development and qualification of new plant

elements.

Important components

EDF Research and Development is offering a new opportu-nity to European research teams or manufacturers throughfinancial assistance from the European Commission. EDFR&D will offer open access to its research infrastructure tohelp third parties to carry out experimental tests for assessment and improvement of nuclear safety. TheNICODEME initiative launched in January 2007, allows trans-national access to the EDF research infrastructure under the Euratom FP6 programme.

By means of the NICODEME project, researchers and manufacturers will be able to carry out a large range of experiments in conditions close to those that are experi-enced in current pressurized water reactors. Experiments willbe performed at the EDF thermal-hydraulic test laboratorywhich consists of two different test loops called CYPRESand CYTHERE. These two test facilities simulate operation inpressurised water or steam.

Extending access to research infrastructure

In the context of nuclear safety and technologies, energyproducers have made great efforts to improve the safety ofexisting nuclear power installations. To reach this goal, large

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test facilities were built in the 1980s in order to qualify operational components for commercial pressurised-water reactors. These components include valves, safetyrelief valves, diaphragms, etc. Today, most of these compo-nents have been fully qualified and the current research programme at the EDF test facilities has progressively focussed on the evaluation of the potential offered by new,advanced components to further improve the safety of existing nuclear installations.

The CYPRES test facility performs endurance open/closetests under high differential pressure up to 160 bar and fullflow rate up to 100 m3/h, with a maximum temperature of300 °C. In addition, a pressuriser allows the performance ofone-shot discharge tests with steam through a drum orwater through a line. The CYTHERE test facility performs endurance tests under thermal shock cycling (differentialtemperature up to 260 °C, pressure up to 176 bar and fullflow rate up to 100 m3/h) on valves and fittings and othercomponents. Both test facilities can also be combined to obtain more advanced characteristics.

The Materials and Mechanics of Components section atEDF R&D brings together around 180 researchers and tech-nicians in the field of material science, including mechanics,chemistry, corrosion, metallurgy, numerical simulation, etc.Users taking advantage of the facilities will have the op-portunity to be in close contact with the whole researchteam. The department is certified to ISO 9001 in the field ofmaterials and mechanics studies. The whole research sitewhere the test facilities are located is certified to ISO 14001for environmental aspects.

High performances of test facilities

CYPRES and CYTHERE test loops are used by European component manufacturers in order to demonstrate thesafety features and technical characteristics of componentsto appropriate regulatory safety authorities.

In addition to the normal test activities performed by EDFR&D it is proposed that the test facilities are adapted to beable to provide the widest range of full-size specific tests using cold or hot pressurised water or steam. These newtests will include testing on isolating valves, control or checkvalves, measurements of leakage rates in steam generatortubes, the study of thermal fatigue in plant elements suchas mixing tees and study of phenomena like thermal strat-

TEST FACILITIES IN PRESSURISED WATER OR STEAM FOR ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF NUCLEAR SAFETY

NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO ACCESS KEY INFRASTRUCTURE

NIC

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I N F O R M A T I O Nification and thermal shocks, etc. The facilities can also beused to study the behaviour of line systems with singulari-ties (i.e. diaphragms and valves etc.) subjected to vibration,the study of valves with power actuators, and the study ofthe behaviour of a relief valve operating in water.

These example experiments are just a fraction of the possibilities that can be undertaken at the thermal-hydrauliclaboratory to yield interesting scientific results. All the possibilities could be used to open new fields of applicationfor the CYPRES and CYTHERE test facilities.

Concrete results for end-users

The EDF team has a long experience of European and international collaborations, through involvement in a largenumber of European projects and international partner-ships. The scientific expertise of its MMC Department is fullyrecognised at the international level.

By opening the CYPRES and CYTHERE facilities to other European researchers it is sharing resources and expertisethat will further improve nuclear safety across Europe andhelp to increase public confidence in nuclear power systems.

CoordinatorEric SanchezEDFR&D DivisionMaterials and Mechanics of Components (MMC) Dept.Av. des RenardièresF-77818 Moret-sur-Loing CedexTel.(33-1) 60 73 63 26Fax (33-1) 60 73 65 [email protected]://rd.edf.com/tali




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Thermal-hydraulic testlaboratory: CYPRES andCYTHERE test loops

This initiative offers transnational

accesses to scientific users

throughout the European Union

and Associated States who wish to perform

experiments in the PLINIUS corium ex peri-

mental platform at CEA Cadarache.

Experiments at this facility allow scientists to

research, and therefore help prevent, ‘worst

case’ severe nuclear accidents. This PLINIUS FP6

project continues a programme initiated

under FP5.

A model meltdown

PLINIUS is the only European experimental platformdedicated to the study of severe accidents using large massesof prototypic corium. Prototypic corium consists of a high-temperature molten mixture containing depleted uraniumoxides that is characteristic of the reactor core ‘meltdown’material that could arise during a hypothetical very severenuclear accident. The facility is based at CEA Cadarache inFrance and is named after Pliny the Younger who wrote ascientific description of the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.

The transnational access project will allow three to fiveresearch teams to use this unique European research facilityduring a four-year period. The users will be selected by aninternational panel after open calls for research proposals. Thisselection procedure is designed to promote scientificexcellence and will ensure the widest possible access to this facility.

Promoting nuclear safety

The main activity within the PLINIUS FP6 project will be therealisation of high-temperature (2000-3000 °C) experimentswith nuclear materials. These tests will form part of the mainR&D programme for nuclear safety. In particular, the tests canbe linked to the Severe Accident Research Network ofExcellence (SARNET) and will also be used in relation to thedevelopment and design of future generation III and IVnuclear reactor systems.

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This project also has a clear training aspect as most of thepotential users will come from countries where such aninfrastructure does not exist and will require training beforeparticipating in the experiment. The results of the tests willbe made publicly available through reports in the openliterature and publications in conferences and journals.These documents will also be made available through theproject website. At the end of the project, a workshop withall users from the PLINIUS transnational access (both FP5and FP6 projects) is also planned.

Understand, validate and manage

Gaining a better understanding of corium behaviour isneeded to define and validate improved severe accidentmanagement procedures in current and future nuclearreactor plant. The research will also increase confidence innuclear plant containment performances during a severeaccident.

The project helps to promote the mobility of researchersthat come to Cadarache to perform their experiments,which in turn will contribute to the effective creation of theEuropean Research Area on Severe Accidents, in co-ordination with the SARNET Network of Excellence.

Reinforcing collaboration between nuclear R&D org -anizations and promotion of cross-disciplinary fertilisationand wider sharing of knowledge and related technologiesacross research fields and between academia, government(including safety authorities) and industry (utilities andplant constructors), through the performance of commonexperiments at the PLINIUS platform is also an importantoutcome.

Research teams from new Member States will be able toconduct experiments dedicated to the specific design andoperational characteristics of their Russian-designed VVERand Canadian-designed CANDU-type reactors. The facilityalso offers the possibility to test the behaviour of newmaterials and novel devices for generation IV reactors attemperatures above 2000 °C.

Overall the PLINIUS project will help to optimise the use ofavailable European resources through the dissemination ofexperimental know-how. It will also optimise theinvestments required for the assessment of severeaccidents and generate a competitive advantage forEurope’s nuclear industry through improved safety.

PLINIUS PROTOTYPIC CORIUM PLATFORM

STUDYING AND PREVENTING SEVERE ACCIDENTSPL

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I N F O R M A T I O NImproved safety and competitiveness

Nuclear safety organisations, power utilities, industries andresearch laboratories are the major targets for access to thePLINIUS infrastructure, although proposals by scientists orengineers working in other fields are also highly welcome.

The main objective of the PLINIUS platform is to performexperiments that simulate different phases of potentialnuclear reactor accidents. The knowledge gained duringthese tests will contribute to the improvement of nuclearreactor safety for existing or new reactors in Europe.Improved nuclear safety is not only of obvious benefit to allin society but also a competitive argument in the worldwidemarket for nuclear reactor technologies.

Public events

In addition to the workshop with all PLINIUS participantsmentioned above, the project will participate in inter -national scientific conferences and EU-sponsoredconferences such as FISA.

CoordinatorChristophe JourneauCommissariat à l'énergie atomiqueCadarache, Bât. 708F-13108 St-Paul-lez-DuranceTel. (33) 442 25 41 21Fax (33) 442 25 77 [email protected]




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Corium experiment in the PLINIUS platform (COLIMA facility)

The Coordination Action Sus -

tainable Nuclear Fission Tech -

nology Platform (SNF-TP) aims at

presenting a coherent European strategy, provi-

ding the mechanisms for consolidating and

deciding future research programmes within

the Euratom Treaty. SNF-TP would also help to

consolidate the European and Euratom posi-

tions within the Generation IV International

Forum (GIF) initiative, including innovative

waste management related to closed fuel cycles

involving fast-neutron reactors.

Sustainable technology

The SNF-TP coordination action has four specific goals. Itwill establish a sustainable, closed fuel cycle for electricityproduction using innovative (generation IV) fast-neutronreactor systems in conjunction with partitioning andtransmutation (P&T) technologies. It will also establish acommercially viable very-high-temperature reactor (VHTR)for applications including process heat and hydrogenproduction. SNF-TP teams will work to improve theperformance of current (generation II) and future near-term(generation III and III+) light-water reactors (LWR) whilemaintaining their high degree of safety. This will includeperforming studies on the feasibility of novel designs suchas the supercritical water reactor (SCWR), and establishinga unified approach to LWR lifetime extension methodology.

Assuring adequate training to preserve and enhanceEuropean human competence in the nuclear field is a vitalgoal, as is maintaining and renewing the research andtraining infrastructure necessary for achieving sustainablenuclear energy. Extensive cooperation with other EUprojects, in particular the hydrogen technology platform,geological waste disposal projects, and nuclear fusionactivities are foreseen. SNF-TP involves the major Europeannational research centres, industrial institutions, and leadinguniversities actively involved in nuclear energy, sciencesand engineering.

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Strategic research agenda

SNF-TP is structured into two sub-projects. The first dealswith the strategic research agenda (SRA) for the futuretechnology platform and in addition how the platformshould be organised and operated. This activity iscoordinated by CEA. The second sub-project deals with theplatform’s deployment strategy and is coordinated by EDF.

Within the first sub-project are a number of research andtechnological development plans. These are Materials &Fuel Development coordinated by PSI; Simulation Tools forReactor Design and Safety coordinated by the University ofKarlsruhe; Fast Reactors with Closed Fuel Cycles, includingPartitioning & Transmutation, and Waste Processescoordinated by SCK•CEN, Nexia Solutions, and theUniversity of Rome; Training and R&D Infrastructurescoordinated by CEA; Light-water Reactors coordinated byVTT; and finally High-temperature Reactors and Processescoordinated by AREVA.

The final document produced by SNF-TP will be distributedto a wide spectrum of European energy sector decision-makers and R&D policy-makers in order to help the processfor political and public acceptance of nuclear fission energy.

Trans-European synergy

The successful completion of the SNF-TP action will providethe foundation for the development of a SRA, coordinatedat the European level, which can ensure that nuclear fissionenergy is generated in a manner that meets the criteria forsustainable development. The project will also set thecourse for implementation of the SRA and it will provideexpert advice and recommendations for strengthening theEuropean scientific base aiming towards the creation of atrue European Research Area.

Mechanisms will be created for supporting trans-Europeansynergy emphasising the creation of a coordinated trainingand educational system for maintaining nuclearcompetence. This will also involve strengthening theEuropean science base and expertise in nuclearengineering and technology through the optimalintegration of research teams and RTD tools, optimising theuse of existing research infrastructures, and creating newinfrastructures when needed. This should include theintegration of scientific and technological advancementsdedicated to generation III+ and IV systems.

SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR FISSION TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM

PREPARING A PLATFORM FOR THE FUTURE OF FISSION R&D

SNF-

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I N F O R M A T I O NThe sustainable basis created by these integrationprocesses will prepare a technology platform dedicated toworld-class nuclear fission energy research, developmentand deployment. It will also provide a platform fordissemination of the important results and activities toappropriate policy-making bodies, to ensure a commonvision going forward.

Sustainable energy security

The SNF platform can form a coherent basis for a trulysustainable nuclear fission energy contribution to the futureEuropean energy portfolio. Nuclear power generation witha closed fuel cycle producing maximum power withminimal waste generation can provide an importantproportion of future European electricity supplies. It hasalso a potentially large role to play in a future hydrogen-based energy economy.

As a power generating resource that does not emitgreenhouse gasses, nuclear energy also has a major role inensuring that European commitments to future climatechange agreements can be achieved.

Public events

The launch of the nuclear fission energy technologyplatform is scheduled to take place on 21 September 2007.

CoordinatorDan Gabriel CacuciCommissariat à l’énergie atomique (CEA)Centre de Saclay, Bât. 121F-91191 Gif-sur-YvetteTel. (33) 169 08 11 87 and 169 08 61 73Fax (33) 169 08 58 [email protected]; [email protected]



Partners CEA , FR CNRS, FRJRC/ITU, EUPSI, CH SCK•CEN, BE FZR, DE FZK, DEKFKI-AEKI, HUUJV (NRI), CZ JSI, SINRG, NLCIEMAT, ES ENEA, IT VTT, FIUPM, ES Universität Karlsruhe, DEUniversità di Roma, ITÉlectricité de France, FRANP-F, FRAnsaldo nucleare, ITVattenfall, SENexia Solutions, UK

OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES AND SAFETYCross-cutting

SNF-TP structure

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The texts in this glossary are reproduced with the courtesyof the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA –www.iaea.org).

Ageing

General process in which characteristics of a structure, system or component gradually change with time or use.

Although the term ageing is defined in a neutral sense – thechanges involved in ageing may have no effect on protectionor safety, or could even have a beneficial effect – it is mostcommonly used with a connotation of changes that are (orcould be) detrimental to protection or safety, i.e. as a synonym of ageing degradation.

Non-physical ageing

The process of becoming out-of-date (i.e. obsolete) owingto the evolution of knowledge and technology and theassociated changes in codes and standards.

❚ Examples of non-physical ageing include unavailabilityof qualified spare parts for old equipment, incompati-bility between old and new equipment, and outdatedprocedures or documentation (e.g. which do not comply with current regulations).

❚ Strictly, this is not always ageing as defined above,because it is sometimes not due to changes in the structure, system or component itself. Nevertheless, theeffects on protection and safety, and the solutions thatneed to be adopted, are often very similar to those forphysical ageing. The management of non-physical ageing is therefore often addressed within the sameprogramme as that for the management of physicalageing.

❚ The term technological obsolescence is also used.

Physical ageing

Ageing of structures, systems and components due tophysical, chemical and/or biological processes.

❚ Examples of physical ageing include wear, heat or radiation damage, and corrosion.

❚ The term material ageing is also used.

Accident management

The taking of a set of actions during the evolution of a beyond design basis accident

❚ to prevent the escalation of the event into a severeaccident;

❚ to mitigate the consequences of a severeaccident; and

❚ to achieve a long-term safe and stable state.

Decommissioning

1. Administrative and technical actions taken to allow theremoval of some or all of the regulatory controls from afacility (except for a repository which is closed and notdecommissioned).

• The use of the term decommissioning implies thatno further use of the facility (or part thereof ) for itsexisting purpose is foreseen.

• The actions will need to be such as to ensure the long-term protection of the public and the environment,and typically include reducing the levels of residualradionuclides in the materials and the site of the facil-ity so that the materials can be safely recycled, reusedor disposed of as exempt waste or as radioactivewaste, and the site can be released for unrestricteduse or otherwise reused. Decommissioning typicallyincludes dismantling the facility (or part thereof), butin the Agency’s usage this need not be the case. Itcould, for example, be decommissioned without dis-mantling and the existing structures subsequentlyput to another use (after decontamination).

• For a repository, the corresponding term is closure.

2. All steps leading to the release of a nuclear facility,other than a disposal facility, from regulatory control.These steps include the processes of decontaminationand dismantling.

Disposal

1. Emplacement of waste in an appropriate facility with-out the intention of retrieval.

• Some countries use the term disposal to include dis-charges of effluents to the environment. In manycases, the only element of this definition that isimportant is the distinction between disposal (with


Glossary

97

no intent to retrieve) and storage (with intent toretrieve). In such cases, a definition is not necessary;the distinction can be made in the form of a footnoteat the first use of the term disposal or storage (e.g.“The use of the term disposal indicates that there isno intention to retrieve the waste. If retrieval of thewaste at any time in the future is intended, the termstorage is used.”).

• In some states, the term disposal is used administra-tively in such a way as to include, for example, incineration of waste or the transfer of wastebetween operators. In Agency publications, disposal should only be used in accordance with themore restrictive definition given above. The termdisposal implies that retrieval is not intended; itdoes not mean that retrieval is not possible.

• Contrasted with storage.

Direct disposal: Disposal of spent fuel as waste.

Geological disposal: Disposal in a geological repository.

Near-surface disposal: Disposal, with or without engineered barriers, in a near-surface repository.

Sub-seabed disposal: Disposal in a geological repository inthe rock underlying the ocean floor.

2. The emplacement of spent fuel or radioactive waste inan appropriate facility without the intention of retrieval.

3. The act or process of getting rid of waste, without theintention of retrieval.

The terms deep-sea disposal and seabed disposal donot strictly satisfy definition (1) or (2), but are consistentwith the everyday meaning of disposal and are used assuch.

Deep-sea disposal: Disposal of waste packaged in con-tainers on the deep ocean floor.

Dose

1. A measure of the energy deposited by radiation in a target.

2. Absorbed dose, committed equivalent dose, commit-ted effective dose, effective dose, equivalent dose ororgan dose, as indicated by the context.

Committed dose: Committed equivalent dose or com-mitted effective dose.

Engineered barrier system

The designed, or engineered, components of a repository,including waste packages and other engineered barriers.

Exposure

1. The act or condition of being subject to irradiation.

External exposure: Exposure due to a source outsidethe body. Contrasted with internal exposure.

Internal exposure: Exposure due to a source within thebody. Contrasted with external exposure.

Natural exposure: Exposure due to natural sources.

Natural exposure is often excluded exposure, but insome cases may be occupational exposure or publicexposure.

2. The sum of the electrical charges of all of the ions of onesign produced in air by X-rays or gamma radiation whenall electrons liberated by photons in a suitably small element of volume of air are completely stopped in air,divided by the mass of the air in the volume element.

Unit: C/kg (in the past, röntgen (R) was used).

Fission product

A radionuclide produced by nuclear fission.

Used in contexts where the radiation emitted by theradionuclide is the potential hazard.

Geological repository

A facility for disposal of radioactive waste located underground (usually several hundred metres or morebelow the surface) in a geological formation to providelong-term isolation of radionuclides from the biosphere.

High-level waste (HLW)

The radioactive liquid containing most of the fission products and actinides present in spent fuel - which formsthe residue from the first solvent-extraction cycle in reprocessing - and some of the associated waste streams;this material following solidification; spent fuel (if it isdeclared a waste); or any other waste with similar radiological characteristics.

GLOSSARY

98

Typical characteristics of high-level waste are thermalpower above about 2 kW/m3 and long-lived radionuclideconcentrations exceeding limitations for short-lived waste.

Ionising radiation including α, ß, γ, etc.

For the purposes of radiation protection, radiation capableof producing ion pairs in biological material(s).

Ionising radiation can be divided into low-LET radiationand high-LET radiation (as a guide to its relative biologicaleffectiveness), or into strongly penetrating radiation andweakly penetrating radiation (as an indication of its abilityto penetrate shielding or the human body).

Minimisation, waste

The process of reducing the amount and activity ofradioactive waste to a level as low as reasonably achiev-able, at all stages from the design of a facility or activity todecommissioning, by reducing waste generation and bymeans such as recycling and reuse, and treatment, withdue consideration for secondary as well as primary waste.

Nuclear fuel cycle

All operations associated with the production of nuclearenergy, including:

❚ mining and milling, processing and enrichment of uranium or thorium;

❚ manufacture of nuclear fuel;

❚ operation of nuclear reactors (including research reactors);

❚ reprocessing of nuclear fuel;

❚ any related research and development activities;

❚ all related waste management activities (includingdecommissioning).

Nuclear safety

The achievement of proper operating conditions, preven-tion of accidents or mitigation of accident consequences,resulting in protection of workers, the public and the envi-ronment from undue radiation hazards.

Partitioning

Separation, usually by chemical methods, of minoractinides from the reprocessing stream, for the purpose ofappropriate further processing, storage and/or disposal.

Performance assessment

An assessment of the performance of a system or sub systemand its implications for protection and safety at a planned oran authorised facility.

This differs from safety assessment in that it can be applied toparts of a facility and does not necessarily require assessmentof radiological impacts.

Radiation protection

The protection of people from the effects of exposure toionising radiation and the means for achieving this. ICRPand others use the term radiological protection, which issynonymous.

The accepted understanding of the term radiation protec-tion is restricted to protection of humans. Suggestions toextend the definition to include the protection of non-human species or the environment are controversial.

Radioactivity

The phenomenon whereby atoms undergo spontaneousrandom disintegration, usually accompanied by the emis-sion of radiation.

A nucleus (of an atom) that possesses properties of spontaneousdisintegration (radioactivity). Nuclei are distinguished by theirmass and atomic number.

Repository

A nuclear facility where waste is emplaced for disposal.

❚ Geological repository: A facility for radioactive wastedisposal located underground (usually several hundredmetres or more below the surface) in a stable geologi-cal formation to provide long-term isolation of radionu-clides from the biosphere.

❚ Near-surface repository: A facility for radioactive wastedisposal located at or within a few tens of metres of theEarth’s surface.


99

Reprocessing

A process or operation, the purpose of which is to extractradioactive isotopes from spent fuel for further use.

Severe accident

Accident conditions more severe than a design-basis accidentand involving significant core degradation.

Spent nuclear fuel

1. Nuclear fuel removed from a reactor following irradia-tion, which is no longer usable in its present formbecause of depletion of fissile material, build-up of poison or radiation damage.

2. Nuclear fuel that has been irradiated in and permanent-ly removed from a reactor core.

The adjective ‘spent’ suggests that spent fuel cannot beused as fuel in its present form (as, for example, in spentsource). In practice, however (as in (2) above), spent fuel iscommonly used to refer to fuel which has been used as fuelbut will no longer be used, whether or not it could be(which might more accurately be termed ‘disused fuel’).

Storage

The holding of spent fuel or of radioactive waste in a facilitythat provides for its containment, with the intention ofretrieval.

Transmutation

The conversion of one element into another. Transmutationis under study as a means of converting longer-livedradionuclides into shorter-lived or stable radionuclides. Theterm actinide burning is used in some countries.

Underground research laboratory

Tests conducted within a geological environment that isessentially equivalent to the environment of a potentialrepository. A special underground laboratory, called anunderground research laboratory (URL), may be built forin-situ testing or tests may be carried out in an actualrepository excavation. Only in such a facility can the fullrange of repository environment properties and wasterepository system interactions be measured.

Vitrified waste

The vitreous product that results from incorporating wasteinto a glass matrix.

Waste, radioactive

For legal and regulatory purposes, waste that contains or iscontaminated with radionuclides at concentrations oractivities greater than clearance levels as established bythe regulatory body.

GLOSSARY

101

ALISIA 72

ANTIOXI 82

ARGONA 18

CANDIDE 38

CARD 20

CATT 22

CIP 24

EFNUDAT 40

EISOFAR 74

ELSY 76

ENEN-II 80

ERA-PRO 54

FUTURAE 64

GENEPI-ENTB 2 56

GENEPI-lowRT 58

GENRISK-T 60

HPLWR Phase 2 78

LWR-DEPUTY 42

MAGIC 84

MICADO 26

MTR+I3 88

NICODEME 90

NOTE 62

NUDAME 44

NULIFE 86

OBRA 28

PAMINA 30

PATEROS 46

PLINIUS FP6 92

PROTECT 66

PuMA 48

SAPIERR-II 32

SNF-TP 94

THERESA 34

TIMODAZ 36

TMT Handbook 68

VELLA 50

Index of projects

European Commission

EUR 22385 – Euratom FP6 Research Projects and Training Activities

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities

2007 — 101 pp. — 21.0 x 29.7 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-05047-3

SALES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

Publications for sale produced by the Office of Official Publications of the European Communities are available fromour sales agents throughout the world.

You can find the list of sales agents on the Publications Office website (http://publications.europa.eu) or you can applyfor it by fax (352) 29 29-42758.Contact the sales agent of your choice and place your order.

This brochure describes the third batch of research projects funded underthe specific programme for ‘Research and Training on Nuclear Energy(2002-2006)’ under the Sixth Euratom Framework Programme for NuclearResearch and Training Activities (FP6). The projects described here all involve research activities in the general area of nuclear fission, includingthe management of nuclear waste, radiation protection, and other activitiesin 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 notcovered here.

KI-N

A-22385-E

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