nuclear-news

France’s nuclear energy inextricably entwined with nuclear weaponry

as civilian and military nuclear programs
have been intertwined for decades, cutting financing for civilian
nuclear research projects would increase the cost of maintaining the
nuclear arsena

A French nuclear exit? e! Science News,   January 7, 2013  France has
been held up, worldwide, as the forerunner in using nuclear fission to
produce electricity. However, a third of the nation’s nuclear reactors
will need replacing in the next decade, and public opinion has shifted
toward reducing reliance on nuclear power. In a special issue of the
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by SAGE four articles
explore whether France has the means or desire to unplug from nuclear
power.

Nuclear arms experts Patrice Bouveret, Bruno Barrillot, and
Dominique Lalanne argue that phasing out Frances’ civilian nuclear
program would entail costs both to military funding streams, and to
the nation’s identity. In their provocative article, “Nuclear
chromosomes: The national security implications of a French
phase-out,” they explain that weapons channels are distinct from the
power industry.

However, as civilian and military nuclear programs
have been intertwined for decades, cutting financing for civilian
nuclear research projects would increase the cost of maintaining the
nuclear arsenal. The extent to which the military and civilian budgets
are shared and expenses transferred between them is impossible to
quantify — a deliberate move by defense staff to maintain secrecy.
“From its beginnings after World War II, the French nuclear effort has
occupied an exalted position in the country’s national identity. In
fact, one could reasonably argue that it would take a reimagining of
that identity, and a reconsideration of France’s nuclear deterrent,
before a French exit from civilian nuclear power could become a
serious possibility,” Bouveret argues….. majority-state-owned firm,
Areva SA, is a supplier of nuclear reactors and other nuclear
technologies, such as nuclear submarines, worldwide. ….
Paris-based energy expert Mycle Schneider highlights serious financial
difficulties on the horizon for both EDF and Areva as the French
nuclear fleet ages: 22 of the country’s 58 reactors will reach their
40-year lifetimes inside a decade. Extending the lives of these
reactors or scaling down the nuclear sector to focus on alternative
energy and energy-efficiency programs would seem viable options…..
the politics of such a choice are complex…
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2013/01/07/a.french.nuclear.exit

January 8, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, politics, weapons and war