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Needs for Energy during the 21st Century

MIT Report on the Future of Nuclear Power in the United-States : review and discussion Eric Proust Director, Industrial Affairs Nuclear Energy Division French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) eric.proust@cea.fr. Needs for Energy during the 21st Century. Increasing energy demand

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Needs for Energy during the 21st Century

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  1. MIT Report on the Future of Nuclear Power in the United-States: review and discussionEric ProustDirector, Industrial AffairsNuclear Energy DivisionFrench Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)eric.proust@cea.fr Nuclear Energy Division

  2. Needs for Energy during the 21st Century Increasing energy demand in the world by 2050 • Energy savings are necessary but not sufficient • Renewable energy alone is not the right answer • Threat of increasing climate disorders due to CO2 emissions • Use of fossil fuels will decrease • New needs : Hydrogen, heat, desalination … • Nuclear energy, because it is carbon-free, should play a major role in the next 50 years and be considered as a vital option A view we fully share Nuclear Energy Division

  3. Ensuring the right conditions for this development… • Recommendations for government actions to encourage the short term nuclear energy revival in the US • Include new nuclear plants as an eligible option in any federal « carbon-free » energy portfolio standard • Share cost of site banking, new plant design certification,and CCO licensing for plants to be built in the short term • Provide a subsidy (production tax credit) to «  first mover » commercial NPPS • We welcome these recommendations Nuclear Energy Division

  4. Argentina U.S.A. Brazil United Kingdom Canada France Japan South Africa Challenges for Future Nuclear Energy Systems • sustainability (waste, resources) • economics Gen IVInternationalForum E.U. South Korea • resistance to proliferation and physical protection • safety & reliability Nuclear Energy Division

  5. Closed Fuel Cycles : a path towards sustainability • guaranty the long term safe conditioning of HLLLW by vitrification • reduce the volumes of wastes and thus the repository capacity needs • reduce the long term radiotoxic inventory of repositories • and as a consequence ease the demonstration of their long term safety • key role of public and political attitudestowards the feasability and acceptability of HLW disposal • Benefits of « advanced fuel cycles » in terms of waste management : Nuclear Energy Division

  6. Closed Fuel Cycles : a path towards sustainability … towards Sustainability : • Full Actinides recycling and coupling with GEN IV Fast Reactors • Minimization of wastes and preservation of uranium resources • Cost reduction and resistance to proliferation • the once-through optionadvocated by the MIT study for the next decadesdoes obviously not meet the requirements of a sustainable nuclear development Nuclear Energy Division

  7. Closed Fuel Cycles and Economics • Competitiveness of nuclear power generation in Europe • Strong rules to guaranty transparency • Costs of reprocessing and current MOX recycling : - a very small penalty on the kWh cost - consistent with European studies (OECD, Charpin-Dessus-Pellat report…) • Expected improvements in the cost-effectiveness of Fuel reprocessing and recycling in the future Nuclear Energy Division

  8. Closed Fuel Cycles and Proliferation Resistance • Risk of proliferation associated to current industrial reprocessing and recycling is not underestimated today • Up to now, no wrong use of nuclear materials coming from commercial reprocessing and recycling • Enriched uranium is more attractive and affordable than plutonium • Proliferation resistance features are considered at an early stage for future GEN IV systems • The once-through open cycle, with spent fuel direct geological disposal, will leave plutonium mines to our future generations Nuclear Energy Division

  9. the MIT study and CEA’s perception • Sustainability is an essential condition for enhancing the future role of nuclear energy systems • Minimization of volume and radiotoxicity of waste is a key issue and an urgent matter for deserving public acceptance • The optimization of natural resources is another essential sustainability feature • For the short term, the MIT study provides numerous relevant and positive propositions to enhance nuclear energy revival in the US • For the long term, we also share the view that Closed Fuel Cycles are the only option to meet sustainability • Finally, we only disagree on how fast we need to implement the corresponding scenarios and technological developments Nuclear Energy Division

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