In a first part, the main principles of thermonuclear fusion and the potentialities offered by fusion as a power source will be presented. Fusion offers indeed a number of features (availability of fuel; limited risks) which are so attractive that it justifies the significant development effort which is presently being made. The challenges posed by ... Read more
In his lecture, Prof. Dr. Quentin Michel will highlight the main elements of the Belgian nuclear trade control system. To halt the spread of nuclear technology, countries need to keep a close eye on the exports of sensitive goods. Companies are not allowed to export any product. They do not only need export permits for ... Read more
This technical visit aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the R&D conducted in Belgium, but also at European level, in the framework of nuclear waste disposal. This research can be typified as truly multi-disciplinary, with not only techno-scientific research areas but also ethical and societal aspects.
The European Human Resource Observatory for Nuclear (EHRO-N) provides the European Commission with essential data related to supply and demand for nuclear experts in the EU28 and the enlargement and integration countries based on bottom-up information from the nuclear industry. The objective is to assess how the supply of experts for the nuclear industry in ... Read more
On Thursday, February 25, the BNS-YG (Belgian Nuclear Society Young Generation) Scientific Contest took place at Tractebel head office. In total, 14 manuscripts were submitted, among which 4 master theses. The scientific level of these manuscripts was particularly high this year! For the Oral Competition, the ranking is as follows: Peter Zsabka, for his Master ... Read more
The accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere due to the use of fossil fuels for the production of energy, the release in traces of other gases which could modify the radiative balance of the climatic system, the intensive deforestation and the artificial modification of the soil linked with demographic explosion are that much ... Read more
In this lecture, the total CO2 cost of nuclear energy is first discussed on the basis of a comparison of three studies from organizations with different views on nuclear energy. These values are then put into perspective through a comparison to other sources of energy for electricity production. The lecture will finally address the challenges and ... Read more
In the summer of 2012, inspections of the reactor vessels of Doel 3 and Tihange 2 nuclear power stations revealed the presence of indications that required in-depth analyses. Electrabel carried out a thorough investigation in response to the indications found in the two reactor vessels. These investigations confirmed that the indications correspond to hydrogen flakes ... Read more
