LEAFLET
Unravelling the atom !
Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. In nature everything is made up of atoms, our bodies, the air,
the sea. Matter as we know it consists of often complex combinations of atoms in a myriad of physical and
chemical forms.
From ancient Greek philosophy to 20th century physics
The concept of atoms is very old: the first reference dates back to the 6th century BC in India. However, the ‘father’ of
the atom is the Greek philosopher Democritus, who, along with his master Leucippus, defined the atom as the smallest
element of matter, around 450 BC. Only at the beginning of the 20th century did physicists, like Ernest Rutherford,
begin to unravel the mysteries of the internal structure of the atom, consisting of a very small and dense central nucleus
surrounded by a “cloud” of electrons.
Research – a thread linking scientific understanding with technological progress
Einstein’s famous equation E = mc2 (energy = mass times the speed of light squared) demonstrates the huge amount
of energy locked up inside the nucleus. Later, pioneers such as Enrico Fermi showed how this energy can be released
and exploited through either the splitting apart, or the fusing together, of nuclei. With this came the realisation that
these processes could be harnessed for peaceful purposes to fulfil everyday energy needs, and research, to this day,
remains a crucial tool.
50 years toward
sustainable nuclear energy
Euratom marked its half-century milestone in 2007 and continues to build on strengths in R&D, always
mindful of its original charter to promote the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, in particular
through research, including both fission and fusion applications.
The Treaty of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) paved the way for the development of the European civil
nuclear energy sector, and in so doing expanded the European energy source portfolio. It appreciated the fundamental
importance of research, and was very innovative for its day, introducing the concept of a Community (i.e. European
level) research programme funded out of the European budget.
The keywords here are safety and security for both existing and future power plants, and Euratom research contributes
towards maintaining a high level of nuclear safety in Europe. Today the focus of the fission research programme is on
implementing solutions for management of radioactive waste, increasing sustainability through the development of a
new generation of reactors (Generation IV), and enhancing our understanding of the effects of low doses of radiation,
for example in order to limit risks and maximise benefits from the use of radiation in medicine and industry.
Fusion energy has the potential to be a key component of a future sustainable energy mix, given its advantageous
characteristics. As an energy source, it is almost inexhaustible, inherently safe and has a low environmental impact.
European research funded by the Euratom framework programmes directly addresses the issue of dwindling natural
resources and is already supplying answers to the threat of disruptive climate change, thus promoting a more sustainable
future for the ever-increasing needs of a changing world
.
Yes to energy,
No to greenhouse gases
Global demand for energy is increasing. We need to move quickly to an energy mix model, that encompasses
high energy efficiency and low-carbon energy technologies. Fusion has the potential to become a key
element of the energy mix solution.
Fusion is the process powering the sun- it can be argued that it is fusion energy that makes life possible on Earth. In a
fusion reaction, two light atomic nuclei, deuterium and tritium, fuse together to form heavier ones. The result of that fusion
reaction is helium, a neutron, and a tremendous amount of energy that can be used to provide electricity. Fusion power
can provide in a large scale a continuous baseload power supply that is environmentally responsible and sustainable.
The fusion research quest
The huge challenge for fusion research is the creation of adequate conditions for the fusion process to happen in an
efficient manner so as to achieve net fusion power output. It is however thanks to the highly attractive advantages
that make fusion research worth the effort.
Fusion produces no greenhouse gas emissions that have damaging effects on the environment and on climate
change, or other environmentally harmful pollutants or long lasting radioactive waste. It is sustainable since fuel is
inexhaustible. The basic fuels needed are distributed widely around the globe: deuterium is abundant, there are
0.033 gr in every litre of water and lithium, from which tritium can be produced, is a readily available light metal in
the Earth´s crust.
It is inherently safe. A fusion reactor is like a gas burner and only about two grams of fuel is present in a a volume of
around 1000 m3, but enough for a few seconds of operation. An uncontrolled “run away” reaction cannot happen.
Fusion will have negligible operational and long term environmental impacts.
Half a century of Euratom
in the development of civil nuclear energy
Fission
1938 - Nuclear Fission first
1942 – First controlled nuclear chain
demonstrated by German scientists – O.
reaction – E. Fermi (Nobel Prize in
Hahn & F. Strassman
Physics 1937)
1930
Fusion
1940
1947 – First kilo ampere plasma created
1939 – First theory explaining the fusion
generation of energy in the stars by H. Bethe
(Nobel prize in Physics 1968)
at Imperial College in London, UK
The ITER Project
Bringing the sun down on earth. The ITER project - the biggest fusion experimental facility in the world –
aims to demonstrate the feasibility of the fusion energy as source of heat and electricity.
Boasting scientists from the EU and Switzerland, China, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the USA, this global
consortium is set to build on the past 50 years of fusion energy research and to pave the way for the future
commercial applications.
Together the partners are building a reactor to test the feasibility of fusion power.
This pioneering reactor is being constructed in Southern France, and specifically in Cadarache. The body responsible
for delivering Europe’s contribution to the project is a European Joint Undertaking based in Barcelona.
ITER will not only keep the EU at the forefront of nuclear energy research, but will also stimulate industrial growth and
establish it as home to the most innovative and expert minds.
1954 - First nuclear power plant
1956 – First commercial scale
1959 – First commercial
operational in Obninsk, USSR
nuclear reactor at Calder Hall, UK
scale nuclear power in France
1951 – EBR rector produces first electric
1955 – Fist international conference
1957 – Creation of International Atomic
power (4 bulbs) in Idaho, USA
Atoms for peace in Geneva, Switzerland
Energy Agency by the UN
1950
1964 – First Soviet VVER reactor
1960
1958 – Fusion research declassified
following Atoms for Peace
1950’s – Classified research in the
US, the Soviet Union & the UK on
doughnut-shaped fusion devices
conference in Geneva, Switzerland
1968 – Soviet T-3 tokamak
Fission research,
protecting the future
The main areas of focus in nuclear fission research include ensuring safety of existing and future power
plants, radioactive waste management, development of advanced reactor systems, and use of radiation for
diagnostic and therapeutic medical applications.
Nuclear energy already meets about one third of Europe’s electricity needs; it does not emit greenhouse or any other
harmful gases, and reduces dependence on imported energy sources. The most recent evolution of this technology
is in today’s third generation nuclear plants under construction in Finland and France. In addition, the Euratom
research programme is studying the viability of advanced fourth generation designs. The appeal of Generation IV
reactors lies in their much more sustainable credentials, both as regards use of uranium resources and their ability
to minimise waste production. They will continue to exhibit top-notch safety and cost-effectiveness and, in addition,
demonstrate enhanced resistance to proliferation.
With radiation being ever-present in current daily life, whether as part of the natural environment or from routine
medical applications, fission research under the Seventh Euratom Framework Programme (Euratom FP7) is also
studying numerous aspects of radiation protection, for instance better understanding and therefore reducing radiation
exposure risks , or, further optimising benefits in medicine applications.
Research is also forging ahead in investigating most appropriate methods for managing radioactive waste. This
is the culmination of 30 years’ study on disposal in specially engineered deep repositories in stable rock strata,
but the programme is also investigating methods to minimise the waste through techniques collectively known as
“partitioning and transmutation”, in particular through recycling as an integral part of the nuclear fuel cycle.
Availability of suitably trained personnel and appropriate research facilities are essential in all these fields, and the
Euratom effort is also committed to supporting initiatives in these key cross-cutting areas.
.
1979 – Three Mile Island
accident in the USA
1986 – Chernobyl accident in Ukraine
1996 – First operational
1974 – First 1000 MW nuclear power
1980’s – Nuclear power’s share of EU
Generation III power
plant in the USA
electricity generation reached one third
plant in Japan
1970
1980
1990
1978 - JET
1983 – JET achieves
1988 – ITER
1992 – ITER
construction begins
first plasma
conceptual phase
engineering phase
1976 – Joint European Torus
1985 – International fusion
(JET) design works begin
project first proposed
How Technology Platforms
are leading the way
The Seventh Euratom Research Framework Programme (Euratom FP7) is promoting best practice and
EU added value across a broad range of fission-related themes, ranging from management of radioactive
waste to nuclear systems and safety, radiation protection, related training and use of research facilities.
However, in the area of nuclear technology in particular, which includes safety of current nuclear reactors
and also the development of advanced reactors for future commercialisation, there is an ever-increasing
need to involve key European R&D actors, including from the industrial sector, in a broad multifaceted and
consensual approach based on a commonly agreed vision for the sector.
Enabling Europe to retain its leading technological and industrial position in the field of civil nuclear energy, while
maintaining the highest level of safety, is the main goal for the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technological Platform
(SNETP). Initially SNETP has served as a forum for discussion amongst key stakeholders working in the nuclear
energy field (industry – both vendors and electricity companies, research organisations, academia, and public safety
bodies), who have now reached agreement on a strategic research agenda to realise their common vision.
Rallying around research
© Courtesy of TVO, FI
The members of SNETP are now starting the implementation of this strategic research agenda through the launch of
collaborative research actions, thereby maintaining and driving EU competitiveness in the quest for more sustainable
and secure future energy supplies. In this way, industrial, national and EU research programmes are being aligned,
allowing technical decisions with political and socioeconomic dimensions to be made on a better informed basis.
2006 – Landmark law for the management
2004 – Finland orders Europe’s first EPR
of radioactive materials enacted in France
1999 – WIPP (World’s first deep geological
2000 – Generation IV
2004 – Construction of the Finnish deep
2007 – The Sustainable Nuclear Energy
repository for transuranic waste) in New
International Forum set up
repository of spent nuclear fuel started
Technology Platform launched
Mexico, USA begins operations
2000
1997 – JET achieves
2010
2001 – ITER design completed
16 MW fusion power
2006 – Signature of the ITER
agreement in Paris, France
2005 – Cadarache
2007 – ITER
chosen as ITER site
construction begins
Responding to energy
& climate change challenges
Combating climate change and ensuring sufficient sustainable energy sources to fulfil society’s increasing
energy demands: these are our century’s two main goals concerning energy. Nuclear research aims to find
economic and environmentally sustainable solutions to the challenges posed in realising these goals.
The tool with which the European Commission is tackling these challenges is the Seventh Euratom Research
Framework Programme (Euratom FP7) with EUR 2.75 billion for the period from 2007 to 2011. Euratom FP7 is
pioneering groundbreaking research, facilitating development of new technologies, enabling international cooperation,
disseminating key information and realising education and training activities both in fission (including radiation
protection) and fusion nuclear research.
Euratom FP7 comprises two programmes specifically aimed at maximising future prospects: the ‘indirect’ programme
focuses on shared-costs actions in fusion energy research, nuclear fission and radiation protection, while the ‘direct’
one invests in direct research activities carried out by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).
The total budget for Euratom FP7
in the period 2007-2011 is € 2.75 billion
and allocated as follows:
Nuclear Fission and radiation protection
Nuclear activities at the JRC
Fusion energy research
€ 287 million
€ 517 million
€ 1,947 million
Global challenges need global solutions.
The energy question is relevant across the globe, and international
cooperation is an essential tool for finding a common solution. As part
of the energy mix, nuclear energy is one of the possible responses
to this challenge, and because of the globalised nature of the sector
there is clear benefit from addressing issues at the international level.
The Seventh Euratom Research Framework Programme (Euratom FP7) offers
renewed impetus for international cooperation on the subject of nuclear
energy, under the umbrella of the 1957 Euratom Treaty. As expressed by
FP7: ‘The international and global dimension in European research activities
is important in the interest of obtaining mutual benefits.’ Both fission and
fusion research benefit from international cooperation.
The ITER project is the biggest fusion research project ever, and is the
culmination of decades of international collaboration in this field. The seven
members (China, the EU, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the US)
contributing to the project represent more than half of the world’s population.
In the fission area, Euratom is an active member of the Generation-IV
International Forum (GIF) aiming to exploit international collaboration
in research on Generation-IV nuclear energy systems. Membership is the
same as for the ITER project, with the exception of India (Russia is currently
ratifying) but also includes Switzerland and South Africa.
In addition, there are numerous examples of bilateral cooperation in research
throughout the Euratom programme, either at a programme or individual
project level, often under the umbrella of formal international bilateral
agreements between Euratom and third countries.
For more information:
http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/
© European Communities, 2009
Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.
KI-78-09-613-EN-D
An international
nuclear community