Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform

The Hungarian Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform was launched in the summer of 2010. The main goal of the Platform is to coordinate the nuclear energy research and development activities in Hungary, taking into account:
- the needs of the existing units of the Hungarian nuclear power plant,
- the possible requirements of the new units to be built,
- the development of the future significant Generation IV nuclear power plants as well as the problems of the fuel cycle.

Launching the platform is due to the needs and necessities in Hungary, but influenced by the European development as well. The above three goals of the platform answer the requirements of the present nuclear industry and serve as basis for the future development. The needs of the existing units are important but their significance is decreasing. The possible requirements of the new units are rather uncertain today, as the selection of the unit type is not done yet, although the Hungarian parliament decided on the possibility of building new units already early 2009. The support of the unit selection as well as activities related to the construction and safe operation of the new units might be the most significant short term task of the platform. The main problem with the nuclear fuel cycle is, that it is open. The closure of the cycle will mitigate the risks related to the radioactive waste management as well as it will promote the better utilization of the Uranium resources. The use of fast reactors may solve both the above problems. The majority of the candidate reactors for Generation IV are fast reactors. The major long term task of the platform is to promote the research and development related to fast reactor technology in Hungary.

The Hungarian name of the Platform is Fenntartható Atomenergia Technológiai Platform, abbreviated as FAETP.

Members of the Platform

-Hungarian Academy of Sciences
-Centre for Energy Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
-Institute of Nuclear Techniques of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics
-PÖYRY ERÕTERV Zrt.
-MVM ERBE Zrt.
-NUBIKI Nuclear Safety Research Institute Company Limited
-Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority
-MVM Paks Nuclear Power Plant
-Public Limited Company for Radioactive Waste Management
-SOM System Engineering Company
-National Public Health Institute
-Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd.
-University of Debrecen
-University of Pannonia
-Hepenix Technical Service Ltd.
-Isotoptech Ltd.
-Kopis Ltd
-Hungarian Academy of Sciences Institute for Nuclear Research
-TS Enercon Ltd.
-Paks II Nuclear Power Plant Private Limited Company

Contact

The Hungarian Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform is represented by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Energy Research. The postal address of the platform corresponds to the address of the institute: H-1121 Budapest, Konkoly Thege Miklós út 29-33, phone: +36 1 395 91 59. The easiest way to reach the platform is via the e-mail address: platform@aeki.kfki.hu.

Organisation and structure

The managers of the Platform members form the Governing Board. The Governing Board is the main decision making body of the platform, it elaborates the main strategic documents, determines the direction of the activities. The chairman of the Governing Board is elected annually. The chairman has to coordinate the platform's work, represent the platform on national and international level and coordinates the activities of the Governing and Executive Boards. The Governing Board had its first meeting early September 2010. The participants of the meeting decided, that plans have to be made for a period of about five years. The plans have to be elaborated within a few months.

Two more bodies were established, the Executive Board and the Mirror Group. The Executive Board coordinates the every day work of the platform, organizes the cooperation with European organizations, is responsible for the work plans of the platform and has to organize the conferences as well. Member organizations delegate the members to the Executive Board. The Executive Board reports to the Governing Board. The members of the Mirror Group are delegates from those member organizations which are responsible for the determination of the demands for research and development activities. The Mirror Group makes recommendations for the Governing Board aiming to fulfill the Hungarian and international demands.

The Executive Board founded an Expert Group, consisting of a few sub-groups. The Expert Group is responsible for the elaboration of the detailed work plans. The members of the Expert Group are selected from the staffs of the member organizations by the Executive Board. The Expert Group reports to the Executive Board.

Objectives

The platform publishes its results in periodic issues. These publications are edited by editorial bodies, elected by the Executive Board.

The platform has to cooperate with the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform (SNETP) of the European Union as well as with similar organizations of different European countries.

The Platform wants to inform the decision makers of politics and economy as well as the media on a conference, to be organized in Budapest at the premises of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences on January 12, 2011. Later similar conferences are planned annually.