nuclear-news

Major nuclear accident in France – unlikely, but would be catastrophic

A “major” accident, rated 7 on the INES scale and similar to the 1986
Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine and Japan’s Fukushima, however, would be
a “catastrophe,” that would “strongly and durably traumatize the
country,” it said.

The health impact from the release of radioactive material would be
severe, the contamination of land would be long-lasting and
neighboring countries would be affected.

Major nuclear accident would cost France $580 billion: study  By
Michel Rose SAINT-PAUL-LES-DURANCE, France Feb 6, 2013   (Reuters)
“……The IRSN and former World Bank economist unveiled two disaster
scenarios prompting a core meltdown at a typical 900-megawatt (MW)
French nuclear reactor.

A “serious” accident, rated 6 on the one-to-seven INES scale used by
the International Atomic Energy Agency and one notch higher than the
Three Mile Island accident of 1979 in the United States, would cost
France about 120 billion euros ($162 billion), or 6 percent of its
gross domestic product (GDP).

The consequences – with up to 10,000 people ousted from contaminated
zones – would be “manageable”, the IRSN said.

A “major” accident, rated 7 on the INES scale and similar to the 1986
Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine and Japan’s Fukushima, however, would be
a “catastrophe,” that would “strongly and durably traumatize the
country,” it said.

The health impact from the release of radioactive material would be
severe, the contamination of land would be long-lasting and
neighboring countries would be affected.

“We have to keep in mind that the probability of such accidents to
happen remains extremely low,” Momal said. “But these estimates help
policy-makers put the cost of preventive measures into perspective.”

France’s fleet of 58 nuclear reactors is operated by state-owned
utility EDF. After the Fukushima disaster, the French nuclear safety
authority asked EDF to upgrade its plants in France. EDF said the
updates would cost about 10 billion euros ($13 billion).

French President Francois Hollande pledged to cut the share of nuclear
energy in the country’s electricity mix to 50 percent from 75 percent
by 2025. He also said he wants to close the country’s oldest plant at
Fessenheim, near the German border, by 2017.

The worst nuclear accident in France happened at the
Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux nuclear plant in 1980 and was rated 4 on the
INES scale. ($1 = 0.7387 euros)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/07/us-france-nuclear-disaster-cost-idUSBRE91603X20130207

February 8, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, safety