French President Nicolas Sarkozy has confirmed plans to invest 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion U.S.) in future nuclear programs, including a fourth-generation reactor research, according to a report in World Nuclear News.
Approximately 652 million euros ($933 million U.S.) will be allocated to the Astrid sodium-cooled fast reactor program, which is led by France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. Final decisions on construction of a 600 MWe Astrid prototype are expected in 2017, according to the report.
In addition, the Jules Horowitz research reactor, which currently is under construction in Cadarache, France, will receive 250 million euros ($358 million U.S.) for the production of the medical isotope molybdenum-99.
