DOE Promotes Nuclear Power in Eastern Europe
09/30/2011The Department of Energy continues to expand its efforts encouraging nuclear development and research in the Czech Republic and Poland.
On Thursday, DOE announced it will join the Rez Nuclear Research Institute in the Czech Republic and other educational institutions to collaborate on a range of research programs.
One initiative will transfer reactor coolant salt from Oak Ridge National Laboratory to the Rez institute for experiments in its critical test facility. Another, involving Texas A & M University and several Czech universities, aims to improve reactor core analysis, while other partnerships address fuel and safety research.
Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman was quoted in the release as saying “The U.S. is committed to working closely with the Czech Republic to advance our shared energy goals and to support the development of safe and secure nuclear energy resources ... These projects will strengthen cooperation between our universities and national laboratories, help to inspire the next generation of nuclear engineers and scientists and advance nuclear energy technologies that can lead to economic growth and job creation in both our countries.”
On Wednesday, Poneman also encouraged Poland to diversify its power generation and reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The U.S. is helping Poland with plans to build its first nuclear plant, scheduled to go online in the early 2020s.
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