nuclear-news

The danger in France’s nuclear spent-fuel pools

France’s nuclear spent-fuel pools major security risk: Greenpeace, Geert De Clercq, 10 Oct 17, PARIS (Reuters) – The spent-fuel pools of French utility EDF’s nuclear reactors are highly vulnerable to attacks, Greenpeace said in a report published on Tuesday.

Written by a group of nuclear experts and delivered to French authorities, the report says that spent-fuel pools, which typically contain the equivalent of one to three nuclear reactor cores, have not been designed to withstand external aggression.

An attack leading to a loss of cooling water could spark a spent-fuel fire that could contaminate areas as far as 250 kilometers away, Greenpeace’s Yannick Rousselet said.  “EDF must address this issue and reinforce its spent-fuel pools,” he said.

EDF, which operates 58 reactors, denied its spent-fuel pools are at risk and said they have been designed to withstand earthquakes and flooding as well as terror attacks. “Our nuclear fleet is safe and EDF,  in close cooperation with the authorities, permanently evaluates the risk of terror attacks,” and EDF spokeswoman said.

Greenpeace experts estimate the cost of upgrading the pools’ safety at about one billion euros ($1.2 billion) per reactor.The group said that since France has built many nuclear plants right by its borders, citizens of Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Germany and Luxembourg are at risk.

“Nuclear facilities could be an attractive target for a terror organization,” said German nuclear expert Oda Becker.

Becker said the biggest risk is a complete loss of cooling water, which could happen if the building’s walls are hit by an airplane, a helicopter loaded with explosives or wall-penetrating rocket-propelled grenades.

Areva’s La Hague plant is seen as particularly vulnerable. “With the equivalent of about 114 reactor cores in its pools … La Hague is the nuclear facility that presents the highest risk in Europe,” said Yves Marignac, one of the experts….. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-autos-carbon/exclusive-eu-plans-carbon-credits-not-quotas-for-electric-vehicles-idUSKBN1CF1QX

October 11, 2017 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, safety