GNEP is months away from program plan, DOE says

Washington (Platts)--22Feb2006

DOE's vision for the new Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) is months
away from having a program plan, according to Shane Johnson, the department's
acting director of nuclear energy. Johnson, who addressed a DOE advisory
committee today, was bombarded with questions on how the new closed fuel cycle
initiative would be carried out and what other countries would be willing to
participate. DOE officials indicated that some of the department's current
partners in the Generation IV International Forum advanced reactor program
might be a natural starting point. Johnson was unable to say when any foreign
agreements with international partners might be in place. This program is "not
getting implemented in the next 10 years;" its implementation will probably be
in the next 40-50 years, committee member Marvin Fertel said.

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