U.K. Will Withdraw From Nuclear Research

Jan. 27, 2017 – By Steven B. Krivit –

Control room monitors for Joint European Torus (Photo: S. B. Krivit)

The U.K. government intends to leave Euratom, the European atomic energy community, putting in jeopardy fusion research in the U.K., an article on the Financial Times of London Web site reported Jan. 26.

“Membership of Euratom,” the Times reported, “is also a condition for Britain hosting what is currently the largest nuclear fusion experiment in the world.”

New construction on conventional fission reactors may also be affected.

Scientists are shocked and angry at the government’s surprise decision, according to a Jan. 27 article on the Nature Web site. Energy specialists quoted in a Jan. 27 article on The Guardian Web site said, “There doesn’t seem to have been any real explanation” for the decision.

“Ditching Euratom also implies pulling out of its research and development wing, most of which is focused on the massive ITER nuclear fusion project under construction in France,” a Jan. 26 article on Politico reported.

On Jan. 12, New Energy Times reported that ITER had been sold to the public and elected officials on a misrepresentation of fusion results from the U.K. Joint European Torus reactor. Input power to the “record-setting” 1997 fusion experiment was not, as generally reported, 24 million Watts. Instead, it was 700 million Watts.