President Macron’s State visit: Franco-American Civil Nuclear Roundtable

On November 30, 2022, public and private sector French and U.S. organizations in the areas of research, regulation and industry, all playing key roles in the civil nuclear bilateral cooperation, met with the President of France at the French Ambassador’s residence in Washington. The extended exchange was characterized by ongoing cooperation and future prospects related to climate and energy security concerns.

Different possible areas of cooperation were identified, around which the U.S. and French entities could strengthen their collaboration.

In nuclear fission, such areas include research infrastructure intended to allow testing and qualification of nuclear components and fuels, and technologies widening the applications of nuclear to fields such as hydrogen and industrial heat production. Emphasis could also be placed on cooperation on innovative reactors, such as small modular reactors, adapted to such needs. Issues related to the supply of nuclear fuel to existing and future fleet reactors will also be examined. Finally, the safety aspects of these technologies would continue to be the subject of collaborative work.

In fusion energy, the participants will examine potential collaborations complementary to ITER, with the aim of accelerating the commercial deployment of fusion energy sources.