Clock ticking on fusion decision

Europe has made it clear it will not wait beyond June to reach international agreement on where to site Iter, the experimental nuclear fusion reactor.

Fusion could help fill the void as the world moves away from oil, coal and natural gas

The fusion fuels are plentiful and produce no greenhouse emissions when “burnt”.

The systems are said to be inherently safe because they shutdown in a malfunction; and although radioactive materials are produced, they are not of the high-level long-lived variety that has so burdened nuclear fission
EU ministers said on Monday they wanted the matter resolved before the current Luxembourg presidency ends.

Europe believes Iter should be built at Cadarache in France, but other project members are backing Rokkasho in Japan.

The multi-billion-euro reactor will produce energy from nuclear reactions like the ones that power the Sun.

After the International Space Station, it would be the largest global research and development collaboration.

But the six international partners – the EU, Russia, China, the US, Japan and South Korea – are deadlocked on a location decision.

Definitive decisions will have to be taken under the Luxembourg presidency
Francois Biltgen, Luxembourg research minister
Now, Luxembourg research minister Francois Biltgen has warned the impasse must end by July.

“In November 2004, [Europe’s Competitiveness Council] took a fundamental decision and set out a timetable and according to this timetable, work on Iter should begin before the end of the year.

“If we want this to happen, definitive decisions will have to be taken under the Luxembourg presidency.” On 1 July, the presidency is handed to the UK.

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4328597.stm