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Doubts about new nuclear push

What nuclear ‘renaissance’? ‘Major concerns’ about new nuclear reactor designs
Greenpeace 28 Nov 09 Do you know many companies like the nuclear industry who have only one product in their catalogue? There was Ford and the Model T, but that was 100 years ago, and they at least knew how to build and sell it.

We wish we’d come up with that joke. The honour however goes to Henri Proglio, the new chief executive of the French nuclear giant EDF. When even the nuclear industry is mocking the nuclear industry, you know things aren’t right.

So how is the nuclear ‘renaissance’ going this week? Not well, in actual fact…

The UK’s safety regulators, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), have just released the third stage of their assessment for the designs of AREVA’s EPR and Westinghouse’s AP1000 reactors. It’s grim reading.

There are a significant number of issues with the safety features of both designs. The regulators still don’t have a complete design yet from either Areva or Westinghouse. The HSE will not approve the designs unless this is addressed.

The EPR design has a long list of problems. There are “significant concerns” about the lack of separation between the safety protection and control systems.

What nuclear ‘renaissance’? ‘Major concerns’ about new nuclear reactor designs – Nuclear Reaction – A Greenpeace blog about nuclear power

November 28, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, France, spinbuster | antinuclear, AREVA, EDF, France, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear spin