Russia extends GIF cooperation by ten years

Russia has signed the ten-year extension to the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Framework Agreement for International Collaboration on Research and Development of Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems .

Russia has signed the ten-year extension to the  Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Framework Agreement for International Collaboration on Research and Development of Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems. The agreement was signed yesterday by William Magwood and Sergey Kirienko, respectively the director generals of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

William Magwood and Sergey Kirienko signing the agreement yesterday (Image: Rosatom)

The NEA describes the Framework Agreement, established in 2005, as the world's first such accord aimed at the international development of advanced nuclear energy systems. In February, the agreement was extended for another ten years, thereby paving the way for continued collaboration among participating countries.

Rosatom said that the extension of the framework agreement meets the scientific, technical and commercial interests of the Russian nuclear industry. This will have a positive effect on the development of the country's nuclear power sector, it said, and will contribute to strengthening Russia's economic influence on the world market of innovative nuclear technology.

"I believe that Generation IV reactors are the future not only of nuclear power, but also the entire global energy industry as a whole. That is why I consider it important to continue international cooperation in this sphere," Kirienko said.

The other parties to the framework agreement are Canada, China, the European Union, France, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland and the USA. Russia acceded to the agreement in 2009.

GIF was initiated in 2000 and formally chartered in mid 2001. It is an international collective representing governments of 13 countries where nuclear energy is significant now and also seen as vital for the future. Most are committed to joint development of the next generation of nuclear technology. Led by the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Japan, Russia, South Korea, South Africa, Switzerland, and the UK are charter members of the GIF, along with the EU (Euratom).

Most of these are party to the 2005 Framework Agreement, which formally commits them to participate in the development of one or more Generation IV systems selected by GIF for further R&D. Argentina and Brazil did not sign the Framework Agreement, and the UK withdrew from it; accordingly, within the GIF, these three are designated as "inactive Members". Russia formalized its accession to the Framework Agreement in August 2009 as its tenth member, with Rosatom as implementing agent. In 2011 the 13 members decided to modify and extend the GIF charter indefinitely.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News