On 13 May 2019, more than 40 nuclear societies, representing over 80,000 scientists and experts in nuclear technology worldwide, signed a joint  Declaration in which they call on the tenth ministerial conference CEM10 (Clean Energy Ministerial) in Vancouver to commit to doubling public spending on research, development and innovation over the next five years.

The Kerntechnische Gesellschaft KTG e.V. supports the international appeal to political decision-makers, who will meet on 28 and 29 May as part of CEM10: A further demand is that the contribution that nuclear energy can already make today, and new developments in the future, to achieving international climate protection goals is fully recognised.

Public spending on research and development in nuclear technology (fission and fusion) is currently stagnating worldwide at around USD 4bn per year in the period from 2000 to 2014. In addition, private investment in R&D has also declined in some countries.

Nonetheless, the nuclear industry is again making increasing efforts worldwide to advance new technologies (e.g. digitalisation) and the development of new designs, including SMRs (smaller and modular reactors) and so-called 4th generation reactors.

These projects can offer new opportunities for safe CO2-free electricity generation, but some of them still require considerable expenditure for development and testing.

At the same time, a large proportion of the world's research facilities are already getting on in years and are due for modernisation - not only to support the aforementioned efforts to generate energy, but also to be able to continue providing radioisotopes for medical applications in diagnostics and therapy.

The discussion about the impending shortage of skilled labour, as recently discussed at the annual AMNT in Berlin, is not only taking place in Germany.

"A significant increase in spending on the EURATOM research programme is needed, as the current €50 million per year spent by the EU on nuclear fission research is not enough to guarantee the preservation of knowledge, let alone to advance future developments of new generations of reactors and associated fuel cycles" says Eric Proust, Chairman of the ENS High Scientific Council, the scientific council of the European Nuclear Society ENS.

"In contrast, the budget for the EU programme "Horizon 2020 - Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy" is 12 times higher - and nuclear energy is explicitly excluded." he emphasises further.

All this has prompted the KTG e.V. to sign the appeal to increase political support for research and development in the field of nuclear technology - together with numerous national and international scientific organisations and technical specialist groups.

The original version of the joint declaration can be found here!

Helge Gottschling

The signatures of the various nuclear organisations from all over the world!