International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Research Applications and Utilization of Accelerators
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SATELITE MEETINGEuropean Fast Neutron Transmutation Reactor Projects – (MYRRHA/XT–ADS) (SM/ADS) According to the projections published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the median electricity increase till 2050 will be by a factor of almost 5. It is reasonable to assume that nuclear energy will play a role in meeting this demand growth. However, there are four major challenges facing the long-term development of nuclear energy as a part of the world’s energy mix: improvement of the economic competitiveness, meeting increasingly stringent safety requirements, adhering to the criteria of sustainable development, and public acceptability. Issues linked to meeting the sustainability criteria define the scope of this Satellite Meeting. While not involving the large quantities of gaseous products and toxic solid wastes associated with fossil fuels, radioactive waste disposal is today’s dominant public acceptance issue. In fact, small waste quantities permit a rigorous confinement strategy, and mined geological disposal is the strategy followed by some countries. Nevertheless, public opposition arguing that this does not yet constitute a safe disposal technology has largely stalled these efforts. One of the primary reasons that are cited is the long life of many of the radioisotopes generated from fission. This concern has led to increased research and technology development efforts to establish a technology aimed at reducing the amount of long lived radioactive waste through transmutation in fission reactors or hybrid systems like the Accelerator Driven System (ADS). The main focus of this Satellite Meeting is on the European projects implemented in the area of fast-fission reactor concepts and fuel cycles that offer the flexibility needed to contribute decisively towards solving the problem of growing “spent” fuel inventories by utilizing fissionable isotopes and greatly reducing the volume of high-level waste that ultimately must be disposed of in long-term repositories. The Organizing Committee of the Satellite Meeting is composed of:
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