PARIS, FRANCE -- Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham today signedan agreement with France's Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) Chairman Alain Bugatthat will allow cooperation between the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office ofNuclear Energy, Science and Technology and the French CEA.   Theagreement specifically provides DOE access to the PHENIX fast spectrum testreactor, which has a capability that no longer exists in the U.S.

"Nuclear energy technology has the potential to improve the quality oflife for people around the world if we are successful in solving issues such aseconomics, waste and proliferation," Secretary Abraham said. "This new implementing arrangement with the CEA is a positive step forwardand will provide for updating, strengthening and expanding the priorunderstanding of nuclear fuel and fuel cycle-related research anddevelopment."

The agreement builds on a meeting between DOE and CEA in September 2000,during which both organizations signed an agreement covering R&D cooperationin such areas as the Advanced Fuel Cell Initiative, Generation IV Nuclear EnergySystems Initiative and the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative.   Thecooperation has provided access to French R&D that has saved the U.S. tensof millions of dollars. 

Under the proposed implementing arrangement, DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy,Science and Technology and the French CEA will perform an experimentalirradiation project in the French PHENIX experimental fast reactor.  Theywill test various types of fuel loaded with minor actinides (highly toxic,long-lived material contained in spent nuclear fuel) under constant conditionsand acquire data to permit selection of the best-performing fuel for future usein high-level waste transmuting systems.