9EU Contribution to a reformed ITER project
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Committee’s assessment |
Politically important |
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Cleared from scrutiny; drawn to the attention of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee |
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Document details |
Commission Communication—EU contribution to a reformed ITER project |
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Legal base |
— |
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Department |
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy |
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Document Number |
(38849), 10434/17 + ADD 1, COM(17) 319 |
Summary and Committee’s conclusions
9.1ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is a project to build and operate an experimental facility to demonstrate the scientific viability of nuclear fusion as a future sustainable energy source. It was launched in 2005 and now involves seven global partners (Euratom,125 USA, Russia, Japan, China, South Korea and India). The Commission’s Communication sought ad referendum approval (i.e. non-binding and subject to finalisation at a later date) to agree with other partners a new baseline budget for the project post-2020.
9.2The Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation (Sam Gyimah) has now responded to queries raised by the Committee at its meeting of 10 January 2018. He is clear that the UK intends to seek a “close association” with the Euratom Research and Training Programme post-Brexit. The Minister notes that the Council is due to vote in March 2018 on the legal instrument that will extend the Programme to the end of 2020, also allowing for the two-year extension of the JET (Joint European Torus) project. Following the Council vote, the specific arrangements for the JET extension will not be affected by the Austrian Presidency.
9.3Explaining the benefits of UK participation in ITER, the Minister points to substantial construction contracts that have already been won and notes that further contracts are being targeted. It also supports UK science excellence, encouraging investment from industry and the creation of high-skill jobs. Non-participation, he says, would place those benefits at risk and undermine the UK’s “world leading” nuclear fusion research capability.
9.4We consider the extension of the Euratom Research and Training Programme, including JET, in a separate chapter of this Report. A number of further issues are raised in that chapter. We now clear this Communication from scrutiny and require no further information. The chapter is drawn to the attention of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee.
Full details of the documents
Commission Communication—EU contribution to a reformed ITER project: (38849), 10434/17 + ADD 1, COM(17) 319.
Background
9.5ITER is being built at the Cadarache research centre in southern France and originally aimed to complete construction with so-called “First Plasma” in 2020.126 That stage is now expected to be reached only by December 2025. Progress to full performance operation is foreseen by 2035. The total EU contribution to ITER between 2021 and 2035 is estimated at €7.1 billion (£6.3 billion).127 No change is foreseen to the EU’s contribution of €6.6 billion (£5.86 billion) by 2020. Full details and background were set out in our Report of 10 January 2018.128
9.6In his Explanatory Memorandum of 11 July 2017, the then Minister (Jo Johnson) re-iterated past Government statements to the effect that the UK would like to find a way to continue to participate in ITER once it has withdrawn from the EU, but this would be dependent on negotiations. The Government would also like to continue involvement in ITER’s predecessor, JET (Joint European Torus). JET is based in the UK and is largely funded by Euratom.
9.7At its meeting of 10 January, the Committee asked for further information on:
- the Government’s satisfaction that previous management and governance challenges had been resolved and that further delays were unlikely;
- whether the UK would prefer to participate in ITER post-Brexit as a global partner or in association with Euratom;
- the impact on the UK of non-participation in the future; and
- the likelihood of securing agreement to the JET contract extension before the launch of the Austrian Presidency.
The Minister’s letter of 30 January 2018
9.8On the question of whether ITER had overcome its management and governance challenges, the Minister says:
“Following an independent review in 2013 the ITER organisation appointed a new Director, created a new governance structure and developed an Action Plan focused on cost control and implementing a more realistic schedule. An Independent Review Board found that these actions have significantly improved ITER processes.
“The EU’s Joint Undertaking, Fusion4Energy, has also carried out parallel reforms to improve the delivery of the EU’s contribution to ITER.
“ITER is arguably the world’s most complex, ambitious, and technically challenging international scientific collaboration and as such some level of risk is unavoidable. However, the Government is satisfied that the steps taken by both the ITER organisation and Fusion4Energy will minimise the risk of further budget and schedule overruns.”
9.9Regarding the impact of the UK’s non-participation in ITER, the Minister says:
“The UK has already won €500m (£444m) worth of construction contracts for ITER, and is targeting further high-value contracts before construction completes. ITER participation supports UK science excellence, encouraging investment from industry and the creation of high-skill jobs. Non-participation would place those benefits at risk and undermine the UK’s world leading nuclear fusion research capability.
“As set out in a Written Ministerial Statement published on 11th January 2018, the UK intends to seek a close association with the Euratom Research and Training Programme, including JET and ITER.”
9.10On the extension of the JET contract, the Minister reports that the Council is due to vote in March 2018 on the legal instrument that will extend the Euratom Research and Training Programme to the end of 2020. It is the agreement of this legal instrument, he says, that will allow for the JET contract to be similarly extended. He adds:
“The specific arrangements for the extension will be decided as part of discussions on the Euratom Research & Training work programme following the Council vote. These discussions are conducted at working level within the Commission and will be unaffected by the Austrian presidency.”
9.11Regarding the UK’s financial contribution, the Minister confirms the Committee’s understanding that the UK will continue to pay its net financial contribution to the EU until 31 December 2020 and UK organisations will continue to benefit from participation in EU programmes—including the Euratom Research & Training Programme. Longer term participation will be subject to further negotiations.
Previous Committee Reports
Eighth Report HC 341–viii (2017–19), chapter 3 (10 January 2018).
125 The European Atomic Energy Community, comprising all members of the EU as well as Switzerland which participates in some of the research activities, including ITER.
126 First Plasma represents the stage in the construction of the fusion machine that will allow testing the essential components of the machine; under the terms of the ITER Agreement, it is the point where the construction phase is formally completed and the operation phase starts.
127 €1 = £0.88723 as at 29 December 2017.
23 February 2018