An update of safety and environmental issues for fusion

To characterise and quantify the safety and environmental aspects of fusion power plants, studies using the tokamak concept have been undertaken within the European Fusion Programme under the names SEAFP and SEAL. The main results obtained up to early 1997 were reported at ISFNT-4. The newest findings will be presented in this paper. Comparison will be made with findings from fusion power plant studies performed outside the EU, i.e. ARIES-RS (US) and DREAM (JA). Important lessons learnt from the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Engineering Design Activities (ITER EDA) will also be presented. Emphasis will be put on how the two leading success criteria ‘no-evacuation of the public for any in-plant accident’ and ‘no radioactive waste burden for future generations’ can be met and how these criteria fit with the fundamental safety objectives of the recently presented European utilities requirements for LWR nuclear power plants.