US embassy cable - 05PARIS5298

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 005298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES, STAS, EUR/WE 
DOE FOR OFFICE OF SCIENCE ORBACH/HARDING/VANEK 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2020 
TAGS: TRGY, ENRG, ECON, PGOV, FR, KNUC 
SUBJECT: FRENCH REACTIONS TO ITER SUCCESS 
 
REF: MARSEILLE 063 
 
Classified By: EST COUNSELOR ROBERT W. DRY FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d). 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  French officials are almost uniformly 
positive about succeeding in the negotiations to secure the 
south of France as the home for the International 
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).   Despite claims - 
many by French science bloggers -- that French 
 disproportionate, financing of ITER will crowd out French 
scientific research in non-fusion disciplines, the French 
government perspective is clearly to the contrary.  French 
officials say that building ITER in the south of France will 
not strain the research budget, and in any event will 
stimulate not only fusion research, but also R&D in the 
advanced materials, computer, and robotics disciplines.  Some 
suggest the Government in its enthusiasm for the project may 
have  oversold, it.  While ITER will create substantial 
numbers of well-paying jobs, once construction is complete 
new French jobs are expected to number in the hundreds, not 
thousands.  France,s principal ITER negotiator strongly 
welcomes the U.S. proposal to bring India into the ITER 
partnership, the sooner the better.  End Summary. 
 
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French ITER Costs Overblown Say French Officials 
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2.   (C)  In the protracted negotiations over the site for 
ITER, France agreed as host for the project that it would 
provide an additional 10% (above its ordinary share to the 
EU) of total costs estimated at 10 billion euros.  Back home, 
some French researchers balked arguing that the costly 
project - in a tight budgetary environment - would crowd out 
government-sponsored research into other just as meaningful 
or more meaningful scientific disciplines.   EST counselor 
explored this question with several prominent French 
contacts. 
 
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Government Science Community Generally Supportive 
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3.   (C)  A senior French Research Ministry officer told EST 
counselor that the ITER costs France would bear were 
significant, but not particularly large when defrayed over 
the time horizon of the project.   He said that the 
extraordinary costs to France would amount to a billion Euros 
over a 35-year (sic) period.  Of this, the central government 
would provide 50% and the remainder would be borne by 
regional/local government in France,s southern region that 
would directly benefit from the project.  He said that, for 
example, the annual ITER cost to the central government would 
be much smaller than the budget for the new Agence Nationale 
de la Recherche (a recently created entity modeled on the 
U.S.,s NSF) that stands at 350 million Euros/annum and is to 
be raised to 700 Euros by 2006.  He claimed that what is more 
important than the financial commitment is the need for the 
French/EU role in the project to be "exemplary," assuring 
that procedures developed by the six ITER partners are 
executed properly and the project is built on time and on 
budget.  While he also confirmed that a national debate would 
take place regarding the project, he assured EST counselor 
the results of the debate would not alter in any way French 
decisions already taken on ITER. 
 
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ITER, An Excellent Model for Future Collaboration 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
4.   (C)  Other French commentators concurred.  French Deputy 
Claude Birraux, a  technologist,, told EST counselor he 
welcomed ITER, claiming that it was an excellent project and 
that the ITER international partnership model might serve as 
the vehicle for developing other technological projects in 
the future, such as Generation IV reactor development.   He 
seemed unphased regarding the additional costs of the project 
to France.  During a recent trip to Bordeaux, EST counselor 
raised similar questions with the Claude Delmas, the director 
of the Institute of Chemistry and Condensed Matter of 
Bordeaux University I.  Delmas considered that the highest 
priority for research - above and beyond even the topics for 
which his institute was responsible - was energy.   While not 
an expert in energy science, he thought it critical that the 
world collaborate on finding a solution to the energy 
dilemma, especially given climate change imperatives.  In 
short, he felt that whatever the costs, fusion research was 
worthwhile. 
 
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More Fission, Not Fusion, Please 
-------------------------------- 
 
5.   (C)  Edouard Brezin, the president of the French Academy 
of Sciences, provided a lone, but strident, contrary view of 
ITER.  In a recent meeting with NSF Europe representative and 
EST counselor, Brezin questioned fusion research altogether. 
A particle physicist himself, he saw little utility for the 
project in France claiming that the materials research - a 
part of the project,s development requirements -- will prove 
more valuable in the end than the fusion work itself.  He 
claimed that ITER will be but one of many huge fusion 
projects required in the years ahead before any serious 
industrial concept can be developed for fusion-based 
electrical power generation.  He thought that France should 
concentrate on what it does best: fission research.  "Given 
the amount of money and effort we have put into fission, we 
should be the last country to need fusion," he said.  Indeed, 
he thought that France should proceed "urgently" with 
building another fast breeder reactor system.  Such a system 
would ease the nuclear waste disposal problem by burning 
plutonium.   Finally, he said that ITER should not be used 
"as an alibi for doing nothing to benefit the climate."  Nor 
should ITER be considered an answer to climate change.  Now, 
is the time for measures which should be taken to address the 
climate, he said.  "ITER,s benefits might serve the 
interests of our great, great, grandchildren...." 
 
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A Six-Plus (India) Partnership? 
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6.   (C)  EST counselor also spoke with Bernard Bigot, High 
Commissioner for Atomic Research, at CEA, essentially 
France,s day-to-day ITER negotiator.  Regarding criticism of 
ITER, Bigot said it has always been in the background in 
France.  Such discussion now resonates because the EU,s site 
for the project won in the negotiations and because the 
debate about the government,s contribution to research 
(centered on the so-called "Research Bill") has not been 
completed.  Bigot claimed there will be many research 
spin-offs besides those in the fusion discipline, including 
in computer science and robotics and materials research and 
development.  He was confident that the project can be built 
on time and on schedule.  While aware that the U.S. had 
internal questions about fusion research priorities (the 
Boehlert Amendment), he suggested that an internal debate in 
the U.S. would be a useful one and he felt confident that 
U.S. fusion scientists would rally around ITER.  Bigot was 
pleased to learn that the U.S. had indicated it would be 
supportive of India,s participation in ITER as a full 
partner.  He had visited Indian fusion research facilities 
within the past year and claimed Indian research and 
scientists were impressive.  In short, the Indians had much 
to offer, he said.  He added that in a recent meeting between 
the EU and Japan in which the question of India,s membership 
as a full ITER partner was raised, Japan favored delaying 
consideration of India,s entry because it would make meeting 
the demanding schedule of the fall ITER agenda very 
difficult, if not impossible.  Bigot claims he argued against 
this view saying that decisions will be taken regarding ITER 
responsibilities in the fall meetings and that Indian 
participation would benefit the distribution of ITER 
responsibilities and not unduly slow the agenda.  It was not 
clear whether Bigot,s position reflects the EU one. 
 
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Comment 
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7.   (C)  While hardly a random sampling, EST counselor,s 
meetings with French officials highlighted French pride in 
succeeding in the difficult negotiations over the site for 
ITER.  The success in the ITER site negotiations is in 
contrast to a number of recent GOF failures - the EU 
referendum, the 2012 Olympics bid, and the continuing high 
unemployment problem.  Even though France will provide 
significant additional funding as ITER host, no official 
characterized financing as a major impediment.  All but the 
president of the National Academy of Sciences were eager to 
see the project proceed forthwith.  The French negotiator is 
pleased the U.S. seeks to bring India into the ITER 
partnership and urges that India be admitted as soon as 
practicable.  End Comment. 
STAPLETON