Na internationaal topberaad: Frankrijk krijgt kernfusiereactor, Japan compensatie (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - France scooped the multibillion euro international scientific project on nuclear energy - ITER - on Tuesday (28 June) after Japan formally abandoned its bid to host the fusion plant.

"It is a big success for France, for Europe and for all the partners of ITER", French President Jacques Chirac said in Moscow, at a gathering of the leaders of the six parties involved in the project.

Japan will maintain a privileged position in the scheme however.

Under the terms of the agreement, the EU will support a Japanese scientist to lead the project as well as securing a quota of 20 percent of the jobs at the head office to be reserved for Japanese nationals.

A second, smaller research facility may also be built in Japan.

The politics of science

The hosting of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project has been a bone of contention between two rival bids from France and Japan for over three years, prompting talks at the highest political level since April.

Both the Japanese and the former French prime ministers have personally endorsed their countries' bids to host the project.

The six parties participating in the scheme were divided with Russia and China backing the EU's bid for building the site in Cadarache, south of France, and the US and South Korea backing Japan's proposal for building it in Rokkasho-Mura, Japan.

Both parties claimed their locations fulfil all ITER requirements as they already host major nuclear facilities, with Tokyo arguing that its offer was technically superior to Cadarache, and the EU criticising the Japanese location for being more prone to earthquakes and for having less favourable weather conditions.

"All the sides came out of this agreement stronger", said EU commissioner for science and research Janez Potocnik, particularly the EU and Japan, who "built a very strong partnership based on trust".

Asked if France would have been in his country's place today had Japan managed to secure Chinese support for hosting the project, a spokesman from the Japanese mission to the EU said "probably yes".

Splitting the bill

ITER will represent a combined investment of €10 billion over a period of 30 years, making it the most expensive international scientific venture since the international space station.

Building two reactors instead of one, as was proposed by Russia in 2003, would have led to prohibitive costs however.

Under Tuesday's agreement, France and the EU will foot 50 percent of the bill, with the remaining five parties chipping in 10 percent each.

The plant will recreate the nuclear reaction that occurs in the Sun at temperatures reaching 100 million degrees celsius.

The goal of the project is to create a long-term solution to the world's energy problems while cutting pollution and using only seawater as fuel.

Construction work on the site is set to start at the end of the year, Mr Potocnik said.

According to Reuters, French president Jacques Chirac is set to visit Cadarache on Thursday.