Report on IYNC 2004, Canada

Van 9 tot en met 14 mei 2004 kwamen jonge mensen uit de nucleaire sector bijeen op de jaarlijkse International Youth Nuclear Congress. Dit jaar was de meeting in Toronto, Canada. Ook de DYG had een vertegenwoordiger gestuurd. Een verslag van hem zal eerdaags hier gepubliceerd worden.

Hieronder alvast het officiële beknopte verslag van de bijeenkomst in Toronto, zoals het uitkwam vlak voor het einde van het congres.

Nuclear's Young Generation Looks To Innovation At IYNC 2004

"A World of Innovations" is the theme of the third, biennial International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC), which is taking place in Toronto, Canada, this week.

Hundreds of participants from dozens of countries have come together to discuss the future of global energy policy and nuclear's role in the energy mix. Co-hosted by the North American Young Generation in Nuclear and the Canadian Nuclear Society, and in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, IYNC 2004 reflects the viewpoint of the new generation of nuclear-industry professionals and is designed to stimulate innovative thinking and debate.

Established nuclear-industry executives have also been on hand to lend their own insight on innovation - and to touch on both the industry trends and the challenges that lie ahead.

Murray Elstom, president and chief executive of the Canadian Nuclear Association, told IYNC's opening plenary session on 10th May of the growing gaps between electric supply and demand - and the predicted shortfalls in generation over the coming decades. While he acknowledged the nuclear industry must be able to demonstrate both how well it can operate and how well it can meet budgets - to win the confidence of both governments and the public - he also confirmed

"we're looking at new-build as a real way of meeting the deficit of supply".

In a specific reference to Canada's Ontario province, Mr Elstom said the basic political principle for more than a century had been guaranteed electricity supply - and that "the lights go on when I flick the switch". For that reason, he urged policy-makers to help foster a climate of investment in nuclear. He said the industry is already actively considering new-build - through companies such as Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) - and therefore "one might say Ontario is an opportunity for young people".

The executive vice-president of the US Nuclear Energy Institute, Angie Howard, spoke of favourable public opinion in the US toward nuclear and she predicted, given the right environment, a bright future for nuclear domestically and globally, with the potential for 100 operational units across Africa, hundreds in China and the problem of greenhouse gas emissions becoming an issue of the past.

However, like Mr Elstom, Ms Howard also emphasised the need for political support - and the need to pass stalled US energy legislation. She said: "It's important that our energy policy catch up (to the industry's momentum)", but added: "I don't think it will happen this, election, year".

Also helping place the IYNC 2004 theme of innovation in context was an "Advanced Reactor Debate". The session included presentations on the new generation of reactor designs, followed by a question-and-answer session. Presentations comprised those by Milt Caplan of AECL on the ACR-700 unit, Maurice Magugumela of South Africa's PBMRCo on the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor, Takeo Shimizu of Toshiba Corporation on the advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) and Regis Matzie of Westinghouse on the AP1000.

Presenters stressed innovative designs, new construction techniques, advanced safety systems and dramatically shortened project schedules. Mr Matzie commented: "The question is whether we as an industry can be ready with designs to meet the needs of the market."

Source: IYNC

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