French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced yesterday that France would be going ahead with the construction of a second EPR™.
This is excellent news for AREVA and confirms the trust being put in the group’s technology.
The EPR™ is an evolutionary 1600+ MWe pressurized water reactor based on proven technology. It is the world’s first Generation III+ reactor and benefits from feedback from over 40 years of nuclear plant operation. In full compliance with the requirements of the safety authorities and in line with the expectations of electric utilities, the EPR™ has been selected for its financial and environmental performance, and for its unrivalled level of safety. With a service life of 60 years, the EPR™ has a lower impact on the environment than its predecessors, thanks to a 15% drop in the quantity of uranium required to fuel the reactor and the low amounts of waste generated.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012. The new reactor will be the fifth to be built in the world after Olkiluoto in Finland, Flamanville in France, and Taishan 1 and 2 in China.
EDF and E.ON have also opted for EPR™ technology in the framework of the United Kingdom’s nuclear new build program. The EPR™ certification process is also underway in the United States where several utilities have already expressed their desire to add seven EPR™ to their existing fleet. AREVA, in a partnership with GDF-Suez and Total, is also proposing the EPR™ in the United Arab Emirates.
EPR is a trademark of the AREVA Group.