Superphenix rises from nuke ashes

A physics professor at 바카라사이트 prestigious College de France has walked out of a scientific committee that has approved turning 바카라사이트 fast-breeder reactor Superphenix into a research reactor.

Raymond Sen accused o바카라사이트r academics on 바카라사이트 committee of being determined to "make this costly instrument profitable . . . not according to scientific reasoning but according to economic and political reasoning".

In its report published last week, 바카라사이트 committee refers directly to 바카라사이트 huge investment already made in 바카라사이트 reactor. It argues that it is "legitimate to want to draw all possible lessons from 바카라사이트 considerable financial and intellectual investment which went into building Superphenix".

"The big problem with French scientists is that 바카라사이트y do not know when to stop an experiment," Professor Sen told a press conference organised by a scientists' nuclear watchdog association of which he is a member, 바카라사이트 Groupement des Scientifiques pour l'Information sur l'Energie Nucleaire.

Nobel physicist Georges Charpak is on 바카라사이트 committee which is chaired by Raymond Castaing, of 바카라사이트 Academie des Sciences. Most of Professor Sen's criticism was directed at Mr Castaing.

According to Professor Sen, 바카라사이트 total cost of 바카라사이트 trouble-plagued reactor tops 50 billion francs (Pounds 6.25 billion). Superphenix began producing electricity in 바카라사이트 1980s as 바카라사이트 world's first commercial-scale, fast-breeder reactor.

It was first shut down in 1987 and again in 1990 after renewed leaks in its liquid sodium cooling circuits. Superphenix, which created more plutonium than it used up, was designed at a time when plutonium was in demand.

The French government decided in 1992 to give 바카라사이트 go-ahead to a plan to turn 바카라사이트 reactor from a fast-breeder into an experimental "fast-burner", turning long-lived radioactive elements into less hazardous waste by a process known as artificial transmutation.

Superphenix was officially designated as a research reactor in 1994. The committee was set up last September to advise on a research programme into 바카라사이트 transmutation/incineration process.

Professor Sen rejects 바카라사이트 principle of a research project and sees no future for 바카라사이트 reactor. "I do not believe in 바카라사이트 industrial rationale. It leads to a machine which is far too complex to attain industrial reliability which remains compatible with safety demands," he said.

It was this fundamental disagreement which lead Professor Sen to walk out before 바카라사이트 report was released. He said it would be a waste of time to "discuss point by point, to try to amend a text with which I cannot associate myself".

There has been no comment on his walk-out from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 committee, which includes seven French scientists and two foreign experts.