Infrastruktura - Środowisko - Energetyka Jądrowa
Dodatek lobbingowy do "RZECZPOSPOLITEJ".
23 marca 2010 r.

po polsku

A safe and competitive answer to today's CO₂-free energy needs

AREVA's EPR™ reactor

Adam Rozwadowski, AREVA Poland Manager

It is commonly agreed that there is only one solution to the world's "Factor 4" challenge of generating twice as much energy with half the CO₂: a balanced energy mix. In this context, nuclear power is proving increasingly competitive, safe, reliable and environmentally friendly and, to this end and to meet utilities expectations, AREVA with its global extensive experience worldwide in the nuclear field has developed a range of Generation III+ reactors.

Compared to the Generation II reactors that are currently in operation in Europe and that were built from the 70's until the late 90's, the Generation III reactors were designed to stay safe even in the unlikely event of a severe accident leading to a core melt, and some of the recent designs of reactors, known as Generation III+, further improve on these features by proposing even better safety and operational performance.

The EPR™ reactor qualifies as a Generation III+ reactor thanks to its advancements in safety, economics and reduced environmental footprint compared with previous generation models (Gen II or Gen III). The EPR™ design is evolutionary, using proven technology based on the German Konvoi and the French N4 reactors and integrating thoroughly tested innovations that are the result of decades of R&D programs, in particular those of the French Atomic Energy Commission and the Karlsruhe Research Center in Germany.

The Safest and Most Efficient Reactor

The EPR™ reactor is the world's most powerful, with an electrical generation capacity of more than 1600 MWe and will achieve a reduction in operation and maintenance costs compared with current plants. The EPR™ reactor also helps to achieve sustainable development objectives, such as natural resources saving and a better environmental footprint. As an example, compared to a Generation II reactor, the EPR™ reactor requires 15% less uranium and produces 10% less long-lived radioelements to generate a given amount of energy.

Benefiting from the experience of several thousand reactor-years of operation of AREVA technology, the EPR™ reactor was designed to comply with the most stringent safety requirements. Furthermore, the EPR™ design has been found compliant with the "European Utility Requirements" (EUR), after a very thorough multi-year process (with about 5000 mandatory requirements) ensuring that a light-water reactor design will meet the needs that the most experienced nuclear utilities consider as a must-have for any new build in Europe.

The EPR™ reactor is also the first to be reviewed by the Multinational Design Evaluation Program (MDEP), an international initiative led by ten major national nuclear regulatory authorities to exchange information in order to improve the efficiency of the licensing process. This strong endorsement from utilities is mirrored by the position from the most demanding Safety Authorities: indeed, the director of STUK, the Finnish nuclear safety authority, stated in 2008 regarding the EPR™ reactor that AREVA had the safest product.

With decades spent on PWR design, certification and operation, the EPR™ reactor sets a very high standard for reducing the risk of accident as well as of any consequences to the environment. Indeed, the EPR™ design features multiple safety systems that help reduce the probability of a severe accident by a factor of 100 compared to the previous generation of reactors. Moreover, it is especially resistant to external events such as airplane crashes thanks to a unique reinforced concrete outer shell that safeguards safety systems, fuel storage and control room. Finally, in the extremely unlikely occurrence of a severe accident, the unique combination of active and passive safety systems of the EPR™ reactor, with notably a core catcher which allows to contain and stabilize core melt in the long term in any event (contrary to the in-vessel retention principle used by other pressurized water reactors which has been put in doubt by regulatory authorities) and a unique filtering area inside the double containment wall, allow to drastically reduce any potential consequence for the immediate surroundings.

A worldwide fleet in the making

Major power companies worldwide have already expressed their confidence in AREVA's EPR™ technology. Today, four EPR™ units are under construction - in Finland (Olkiluoto 3), France (Flamanville 3) and China (Taishan 1&2). Nota bene: there are about 1000 Polish employees among the staff of the Olkiluoto construction site. All four reactors which are under construction today will actually produce electricity when the construction of the first Polish reactor starts. The design is also undergoing regulatory review in the United Kingdom and the United States, and is being considered by a number of utilities in other countries as part of a global standardized fleet that will realize tremendous efficiencies of scale and replicable experience in licensing, procurement and construction.

More information available on
www.areva.com