Japan zou Frankrijk de kernfusiereactor ITER gunnen (en)

Cadarache in southeast France seems set to scoop the ITER nuclear fusion reactor following a breakthrough during talks with Japan in Geneva on Thursday (5 May), newsagency AFP reports.

French junior research minister Francois d'Aubert said the partners had reached a "balanced accord" that could see Tokyo dropping its bid to site the plant in Rokkasho-mura, Japan.

The deal may include promises that Japanese firms will win construction and raw materials contracts as a consolation prize.

But the European Commission declined to flesh out Mr d'Aubert's statement, saying instead that it is "very hopeful" of reaching agreement by the official deadline in July.

French president Jacques Chirac and the Japanese media began dropping hints about the Geneva consensus earlier this week.

Mr Chirac declared on Tuesday that France is "on the verge" of securing the project, adding", France has a voice that is listened to, certainly respected, even if it grates a little".

Meanwhile, the popular Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported that unofficial talks between the EU and Japan in recent days helped Paris get its way.

The siting of the prestigious 10 billion euro reactor in Cadrache could boost French goodwill toward the international community ahead of the 29 May referendum on the EU constitution.

From sea water to solar power

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is a joint project between the EU, Japan, the US, Russia, China and South Korea.

On paper, the reactor will pump out 500 MW of power using hydrogen isotopes, superheated gas and an intense magnetic field that mimics conditions in the sun.

Sea water would provide one of the plant's main raw materials, giving rise to a new dawn of fossil fuel-free energy production.

Parts of ITER are slated to be up and running by 2015, according to the organisation.

The project was first mooted toward the end of the Cold War in 1985, but the partners have not been able to agree on the location ever since, with Canada and Spain also throwing possible venues into the ring.

The ITER organisation is currently based at two joint work sites in Garching, Germany and Naka, Japan.