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Science 18 April 2003:
Vol. 300. no. 5618, p. 407
DOI: 10.1126/science.300.5618.407b
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ScienceScope

BERLIN--More than 20 months after its construction, neutron researchers in Germany at last have permission to turn on their newest reactor. The federal environment ministry this week gave its long-awaited approval to the FRM-II neutron source in Garching, outside Munich. The controversial reactor is designed to burn highly enriched uranium fuel, which some worry could be diverted for weapons use (Science, 30 March 2001, p. 2527).

Workers finished construction in August 2001, and the Bavarian and federal governments later agreed to start the facility if it switched to low-enriched fuel within 10 years. But early hopes for a prompt start faded as the environment ministry asked for revised plans on reactor safety and waste disposal. This week's approval requires conversion to medium-enriched uranium fuel by 2010.

That will be a challenge, says scientific director Winfried Petry of the Technical University Munich, because scientists have lost 18 months of research and testing. Final approval for start-up is expected soon from Bavaria's environment minister, and Petry predicts experiments will be running within a year.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)