Jules Horowitz Reactor
Encyclopedia
The Jules Horowitz Reactor (RJH) is to be Europe's
newest research reactor
. The 100 MWt reactor is being built at Cadarache
in southern France
.
As of July 2008, site preparations are nearly complete, with thousands of cubic metres of dirt and debris having been moved since March 2007 in preparation for the reactor's foundations. First concrete is expected to be poured soon.
The Jules Horowitz Reactor is a part of The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), which published the European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures Report in 2006.
The reactor is being built under the framework of an international consortium
of research institutes from France
, the Czech Republic
(NRI), Spain
(CIEMAT), Finland
(VTT
), Belgium
(SCK•CEN
) and the European Commission
, along with companies such as Electricité de France
(EdF), Vattenfall
and Areva
. There are two associate partners to the consortium; India
(DAE
) and Japan
(JAEA
). The consortium is open for further international collaboration. The construction of RJH is funded by a consortium
of CEA
(50%), Electricité de France
(20%), EU research institutes (20%) and Areva
(10%).
RJH is intended to be a materials test reactor. Upon expected completion in 2014, the reactor will be a versatile research tool, designed to be adaptable for a variety of uses over a lifetime of 50 years. It may be used by nuclear utilities, nuclear steam system suppliers, nuclear fuel fabricators, research organisations and safety authorities. Its primary uses will be research into the performance of nuclear fuel at existing reactors, testing of materials used in reactors, testing designs for fuel for future reactors and the production of radioisotopes for use in medicine.
The reactor will be much needed by the time it starts up, as all of Europe's
existing material test reactors were built in the 1960s and are expected to be reaching the ends of their lives between 2015 and 2020.
The versatile modular design is to accommodate some 20 simultaneous experiments. The instrumentation to be used with the reactor will allow hitherto unavailable real-time analysis to be performed.
The reactor is expected to produce radioisotopes in coordination with existing production facilities at Petten
in the Netherlands
.
The CEA's Cadarache site will also be home to the ITER fusion reactor, for which ground is being prepared about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
newest research reactor
Research reactor
Research reactors are nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or maritime propulsion.-Purpose:...
. The 100 MWt reactor is being built at Cadarache
Cadarache
The CEA Cadarache facility is a French scientific research centre which specialises in nuclear energy research. It is located in the commune of Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, Bouches-du-Rhône, in the southern region of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur...
in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
As of July 2008, site preparations are nearly complete, with thousands of cubic metres of dirt and debris having been moved since March 2007 in preparation for the reactor's foundations. First concrete is expected to be poured soon.
The Jules Horowitz Reactor is a part of The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), which published the European Roadmap for Research Infrastructures Report in 2006.
The reactor is being built under the framework of an international consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of research institutes from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
(NRI), Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(CIEMAT), Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
(VTT
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is largest multidisciplinary research organisation in Northern Europe. It provides high-end technology solutions and innovation services...
), Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
(SCK•CEN
SCK•CEN
SCK•CEN is the Belgian nuclear research centre located in Mol, Belgium. SCK•CEN is active in various areas of research and services in the nuclear sector.-Organisation profile:...
) and the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, along with companies such as Electricité de France
Électricité de France
Électricité de France S.A. is the second largest French utility company. Headquartered in Paris, France, with €65.2 billion in revenues in 2010, EDF operates a diverse portfolio of 120,000+ megawatts of generation capacity in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.EDF is one of...
(EdF), Vattenfall
Vattenfall
Vattenfall is a Swedish power company. The name Vattenfall is Swedish for waterfall, and is an abbreviation of its original name, Royal Waterfall Board...
and Areva
Areva
AREVA is a French public multinational industrial conglomerate headquartered in the Tour Areva in Courbevoie, Paris. AREVA is mainly known for nuclear power; it also has interests in other energy projects. It was created on 3 September 2001, by the merger of Framatome , Cogema and...
. There are two associate partners to the consortium; India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(DAE
Department of Atomic Energy (India)
The Department of Atomic Energy is a department directly under the Prime Minister of India with headquartered in Mumbai. The department is responsible for nuclear technology, including nuclear power and research....
) and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(JAEA
Japan Atomic Energy Agency
The was formed October 1, 2005 by a merger of two previous semi-governmental organizations. While it inherited the activities of both PNC and JAERI, it also inherited the nickname of JAERI, "Genken" 原研, an abbreviated word for "nuclear research"....
). The consortium is open for further international collaboration. The construction of RJH is funded by a consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of CEA
Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique
The Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives or CEA, is a French “public establishment related to industrial and commercial activities” whose mission is to develop all applications of nuclear power, both civilian and military...
(50%), Electricité de France
Électricité de France
Électricité de France S.A. is the second largest French utility company. Headquartered in Paris, France, with €65.2 billion in revenues in 2010, EDF operates a diverse portfolio of 120,000+ megawatts of generation capacity in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.EDF is one of...
(20%), EU research institutes (20%) and Areva
Areva
AREVA is a French public multinational industrial conglomerate headquartered in the Tour Areva in Courbevoie, Paris. AREVA is mainly known for nuclear power; it also has interests in other energy projects. It was created on 3 September 2001, by the merger of Framatome , Cogema and...
(10%).
RJH is intended to be a materials test reactor. Upon expected completion in 2014, the reactor will be a versatile research tool, designed to be adaptable for a variety of uses over a lifetime of 50 years. It may be used by nuclear utilities, nuclear steam system suppliers, nuclear fuel fabricators, research organisations and safety authorities. Its primary uses will be research into the performance of nuclear fuel at existing reactors, testing of materials used in reactors, testing designs for fuel for future reactors and the production of radioisotopes for use in medicine.
The reactor will be much needed by the time it starts up, as all of Europe's
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
existing material test reactors were built in the 1960s and are expected to be reaching the ends of their lives between 2015 and 2020.
The versatile modular design is to accommodate some 20 simultaneous experiments. The instrumentation to be used with the reactor will allow hitherto unavailable real-time analysis to be performed.
The reactor is expected to produce radioisotopes in coordination with existing production facilities at Petten
Petten nuclear reactor
The Petten nuclear reactors are nuclear research reactors in Petten, Netherlands. There are two reactors on the premises of the Petten research centre: a high flux reactor and a low flux reactor....
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
The CEA's Cadarache site will also be home to the ITER fusion reactor, for which ground is being prepared about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away.