21 Mar (NucNet): Construction has formally begun of France’s Jules Horowitz experimental research reactor (RJH) at the French Atomic Energy Commission’s (CEA) site at Cadarache.
Industry minister Francois Loos led a ceremony marking the start of construction on 19 March. Mr Loos said the 100-megawatt thermal reactor will play a major role in shaping future national and European energy policy.
RJH, which is scheduled to start operation in 2014, is named after the pioneer of reactor physics and a former director of the CEA’s Fundamental Research Institute.
Construction will cost around 500 million euros (about 665 million US dollars). The CEA will finance 50 percent of the construction costs and the remainder will be met by Electricite de France (20 percent), “international partners” (20 percent) and Areva (10 percent).
Mr Loos said the reactor will be used to test materials and fuel for use in existing and future commercial reactors, in particular fourth-generation reactors. RJH will also produce radioisotopes for use in nuclear medicine.
Details of the project are available in French on the CEA’s web site (www.cea.fr) and are due to be available on the English section of CEA’s web site shortly.
