This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000892 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR T, ISN, IO, EUR, AND EAP 
ENERGY FOR NE, RW, AND NNSA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: KNNP ENRG TRGY FR
SUBJECT: U.S.-FRENCH GLOBAL NUCLEAR ENERGY PARTNERSHIP 
DISCUSSIONS 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Protect Accordingly. 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: U.S. and French delegations met to discuss 
the U.S. proposal for a Global Nuclear Energy Partnership 
(GNEP).  Both sides made presentations on their R&D agendas 
on closing the fuel cycle.  The French side expressed 
strong support for the direction of the U.S. GNEP proposal, 
and a number of areas for future technical cooperation were 
identified.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) On February 9-10, 2006 in Paris, a U.S. Delegation 
lead by Victor Reis, Senior Advisor to Secretary of Energy, 
met with a delegation from the CEA lead by Jacques 
Bouchard, Special Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of the 
CEA, to discuss the U.S. proposal to form a Global Nuclear 
Energy Partnership.  Other members of the U.S. delegation 
include; John Herczeg (DOE), Alex Burkart (DoS), James J. 
Laidler (Argonne National Laboratory), Phillip J. Finck 
(Argonne National Laboratory, David Hill, (Idaho National 
Laboratory), Rick Stevens (Argonne National Laboratory) 
Alan Brownstein (DOE).  The French delegation included 
Philippe Pradel, Jean-Louis Carbonnier, Frank Carr, 
Philippe Brossard, Bernard Boullis, Philippe Martin, Didier 
Kechemair, Patrick Ledermann and Bernard Boullis, all of 
CEA. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On February 9th, following opening remarks by 
both sides, the CEA presented an overview of the specific 
areas of its nuclear energy R&D program, including the 
French R&D Strategy for Future Nuclear Energy Systems, 
which was approved by the French government in March 2005. 
Discussion focused on the development of fast reactors with 
a closed fuel cycle along two tracks: the Sodium Fast 
Reactor (SFR) and the Gas Fast Reactor (GFR), including new 
processes for spent fuel reprocessing and recycle, with 
industrial deployment around 2040.  The CEA indicated that 
the SFR was the primary path forward, with the GFR the 
backup technology.  The first planned gas-cooled test 
reactor (designed ETDR) will have a power of 50 megawatts 
thermal, with a decision on feasibility by 2012 and 
operation by 2017.  If performance of the ETDR is 
successful, a larger GFR prototype will be constructed by 
¶2025.  Based on past experience with sodium-cooled 
reactors, the CEA plans to move forward toward a prototype 
SFR by 2020, as stated in the R&D Strategy.  Objectives of 
the SFR development are reduced investment cost, a move 
towards passive safety and the integral recycle of 
actinides from light water reactors.  The fuels research 
for the SFR is focused on "oxide" fuel for actinide 
recycle, and research on GFR fuels is focused on 
ceramics/oxides.  Discussions also included strategies for 
spent fuel management, which include a next generation of 
reprocessing facilities around 2020 producing a mixed-oxide 
(Pu/U) product for recycle in light water reactors, leading 
to new technologies for recycle in fast reactors in 2040. 
Actinide recycling R&D using advanced separations 
technologies has been underway at CEA's ATALANTE facility 
since 2003.  Research has focused on extraction of 
actinides from fission products, and a group separation 
process referred to as GANEX process.  The CEA also 
provided an overview of its fuel transmutation program, 
which consisted of a three phased program starting with 
irradiations of a few minor actinides lead to a full 
demonstration of the full group of minor actinides in 
Japan's MONJU reactor in 2020.  The U.S. delegation 
provided an overview of the GNEP, including details on the 
planned Engineering Scale Demonstration of UREX+, the 
Advanced Fuel Cycle Facility (a research laboratory), the 
Advanced Burner Test Reactor and Advanced Computer 
Simulation modeling for the complete fuel cycle. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On February 10, 2006, the DOE/CEA meeting 
discussed small reactors and the path forward to joint 
collaboration.  The CEA made a proposal on organization of 
the GNEP program, which built on principles of the 
Generation IV International Forum, but with the development 
of sensitive technologies limited to a smaller group of 
fuel cycle nations.  The CEA took the action to develop a 
non-paper on its views on how R&D relationships and 
agreement might be structured.  The U.S. head of delegation 
agreed to consider the formation of a senior strategy group 
with appropriate member nations whose purpose would be to 
harmonize individual nuclear energy strategies with respect 
to GNEP, including the use of facilities.  One important 
issue will be how to deal with controls on the transfer of 
sensitive technologies.  The U.S. side agreed to prepare a 
non-paper on how to involve other countries outside the 
fuel cycle nations in the development of small reactors. 
Both side agreed to identify existing bi-lateral projects. 
U.S. points of contact were established for planning 
collaborative R&D, in the areas of separations, fuels, 
advanced burner reactor design, and computer modeling in 
several areas including basic science. 
 
¶5.  (U) Subsequent to the meeting, Reis met with Bernard 
Bigot, the High Commissioner Atomic Energy.  Commissioner 
Bigot emphasized the importance that the French place on 
this initiative. 
 
¶6.  (U) Delegation prepared this cable prior to departure. 
Copies of the French presentations are available from 
delegation members. 
 
STAPLETON