Nikkei Asian Review 30th Nov 2018 The French government has informed Japan it will halt joint development of
advanced nuclear reactors, Nikkei has learned, dealing a blow to the fuel
cycle policy underpinning much of the East Asian country’s energy plans.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/France-halts-joint-nuclear-project-in-blow-to-Japan-s-fuel-cycle
December 1, 2018
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
France, Japan, politics international |
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France to close 14 nuclear reactors by 2035 an all coal-fired power plants by 2022, The Local 28 Nov 18 President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that France would shut down 14 of the country’s 58 nuclear reactors currently in operation by 2035, of which between four and six will be closed by 2030.
The total includes the previously announced shutdown of France’s two oldest reactors in Fessenheim, eastern France, which Macron said was now set for summer 2020.
He also announced that France would close its remaining four coal-fired power plants by 2022 as part of the country’s anti-pollution efforts……
Macron said France would aim to triple its wind power electricity output by 2030, and increase solar energy output fivefold in that period.
He added that he would ask French electricity giant EDF to study the feasibility of more next-generation EPR nuclear reactors, but will wait until
2021 before deciding whether to proceed with construction.
EDF has been building the first EPR reactor at Flamanville along the Atlantic coast of northwest France — originally set to go online in 2012 — but the project has been plagued by technical problems and budget overruns. https://www.thelocal.fr/20181127/france-to-close-14-nuclear-reactors-by-2035
November 29, 2018
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
France, politics |
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France could shut down nuclear plants in energy plan due next week https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-nuclearpower/france-could-shut-down-nuclear-plants-in-energy-plan-due-next-week-idUSKCN1NQ17V, PARIS (Reuters) 21 Nov 18 – France could shut down up to six nuclear reactors by 2028 among other options, French media reported, as part of its medium-term energy policy to be presented next week.
“I can confirm that there are three scenarios on the table that we are looking at, we are making final adjustments and all will be presented next week,” French Environment Minister Francois de Rugy told France Inter radio, without specifying a date.
The so-called PPE energy plan will lay out France’s energy goals over the next 10 years with the aim of reducing the share of nuclear power in its energy mix to 50 percent from 75 percent by 2035, curb carbon emissions and boost renewables.
French news agency AFP reported on Tuesday, citing government working documents, that the government could shut down up to six nuclear reactors by 2028, including the planned closure of France’s oldest Fessenheim nuclear plant which is scheduled to stop production in 2021, according to one scenario.
It said another six reactors could close by 2035, which could set France on the path to curb nuclear generation by 50 percent.
The second intermediate scenario does not foresee any additional closures beside Fessenheim until 2028, and then 12 reactors would be shutdown between 2028 and 2035, AFP quoted the document saying.
The final option would also see no additional closures until 2028 after which, only nine reactors would be halted by 2035, which could miss the 50 percent nuclear target.
Jefferies analysts, who have a “buy” rating on the shares of state-controlled utility EDF, said in a research note that two out of the three options seem to favor EDF, which operates all of France’s 58 nuclear reactors.
Even the accelerated nuclear phase-out option appears to offer some protection, via compensation, wrote Jefferies.
Reporting by Bate Felix and Mathieu Rosemain
November 22, 2018
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France, politics |
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France to cut nuclear energy reliance by 2035 – minister, Channel News Asia. 18 Nov 18 France aims to reduce the share of electricity produced by nuclear reactors to 50 percent from 75 percent now by 2035, Environment Minister Francois de Rugy said on Sunday. PARIS: France aims to reduce the share of electricity produced by nuclear reactors to 50 percent from 75 percent now by 2035, Environment Minister Francois de Rugy said on Sunday.
The French government has long outlined plans to shrink the country’s reliance on nuclear energy to 50 percent, though the deadline for that goal had remained less clear.
A long-awaited government update on France’s long-term energy strategy is expected to be released later this month, setting out in greater detail how it will cut the share of nuclear in its power generation……….
The new environment minister has said he expected there would be fewer nuclear reactors in France in 10 year’s time, though he has given few details on how many of state-owned EDF’s 58 plants will have to close.
De Rugy raised further doubts on Sunday over plans to build more plants using the European pressurized reactor (EPR) design, having previously questioned whether this new generation of reactors were viable……….
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/france-to-cut-nuclear-energy-reliance-by-2035—minister-10944548
November 19, 2018
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
France, politics |
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APAG2 2nd Aug 2018 *Fusion** The nuclear lobby claims wrongly that tritium is harmless to discharge into
the environment, and that nuclear fusion, in which tritium is used as fuel,
is safe. With this consummate manipulation, the French nucleocrats are
passing ITER the nuclear fusion reactor currently under construction at
Cadarache [Bouches-du-Rhone] a carte blanche. But it is not safe.
https://apag2.wordpress.com/2018/08/02/iter-tritium-danger-%e2%80%a8larnaque-mortifere-du-lobby-du-nucleaire/
November 5, 2018
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
France, technology |
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Hackers obtain nuclear power plant plans in France, DW, 2 Nov 18 Hackers have accessed confidential documents about nuclear plants and prisons in a cyberattack on a French firm, media reported. Some of the data was found on a rented server in Germany, according to the reports.
Thousands of sensitive documents pertaining to nuclear power plants, prisons and tram networks have been stolen from the servers of a French company in a cyberattack, German and French media have reported Friday.
The data illegally accessed from the French company Ingerop back in June amounted to more than 65 gigabytes, according to reports by German public broadcaster NDR, the daily Süddeutsche Zeitung and French newspaper Le Monde.
A spokeswoman from Ingerop quoted by NDR said more than 11,000 files from a dozen projects were obtained. They were said to include plans showing the planned locations of video cameras for a French high-security prison, documents about a planned nuclear-waste dump in northeastern France and personal information on more than a thousand Ingerop workers.
Some of the documents were connected with the Fessenheim nuclear plant on the border to Germany, reports said………https://www.dw.com/en/hackers-obtain-nuclear-power-plant-plans-in-france/a-46126878
November 3, 2018
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
France, secrets,lies and civil liberties |
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French turn on nuclear opens €45 billion renewables investment opportunity The French government is expected to show a draft plan on how to achieve nuclear generation reduction plans. After minister Hulot left the government in August, amidst disagreements with Macron’s handling of the nuclear lobby, the parliament has voted for a bill to reduce nuclear generation capacity. If the plans are realized in compliance with the climate targets, solar and wind deployment could grow significantly., PV Magazine,
OCTOBER 31, 2018
MARIAN WILLUHN UK-based analyst firm Aurora Energy Research projects a €45 billion investment opportunity for the French renewable energy market. The French government will present its plan (Programmations Plurianuelles de l’Energie) to lower its dependency on nuclear energy from 75% to 50% by 2025, while at the same time meeting Paris Agreement compliant emission reductions targets……..
November 3, 2018
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
France, renewable |
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BFMTV 29th Oct 2018, Buyout of Uramin by Areva: the Paris Court of Appeal orders new
indictments. In 2007, Areva, then led by Anne Lauvergeon, acquired this Canadian mining company for 1.8 billion euros. A financial fiasco on which justice leads several investigations.
The Paris Court of Appeal ordered further indictments including the former boss of the group.
https://www.bfmtv.com/economie/rachat-d-uramin-par-areva-la-cour-d-appel-de-paris-ordonne-de-nouvelles-mises-en-examen-1555034.html
November 1, 2018
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
France, Legal |
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French public opinion growing against nuclear power https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-public-
opinion-is-growing-against-nuclear-power-as-awareness-of-environment-and-renewable-energy-growsThe French public is becoming less and less in favour of nuclear power, as awareness and concern for the environment grows, according to a new study.
Over half (53%) of French people said they were now opposed to nuclear power,
in the survey by pollster Odoxa. This is compared to 67% who said they were in favour, in a another poll five years’ ago.
The change in opinion has been attributed to the growth and improvement in renewable energy sources, and the rising awareness of the public towards the environment.
The safety of nuclear reactors has also been in question recently, after a spike in breakdowns, and more and more people living within 80 km of a central reactor.
Environmental campaigner Greenpeace, said: “We have gone from a world in which French society believed that nuclear was the only choice. The public thought it was bad, but a necessary evil. But now, with the rise in renewable energy, with sun and wind, we can bypass nuclear completely.”
Concern over the environmental impact of nuclear power has also played a role, it suggested.
The statement continued: “We are waking up to the fact that when we turn on a light or a toaster at home, we are producing radioactive waste that is going to remain on Earth for thousands of years. We are starting to ask ourselves if this is a clean source of energy.”
Despite this, however, the same poll found that just 28% of people would be willing to pay more for their energy to fix the nuclear problem.
October 29, 2018
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France, politics |
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EDF curbs Fessenheim 2 nuclear reactor output due to dry weather https://www.reuters.com/article/france-drought-nuclearpower/edf-curbs-fessenheim-2-nuclear-reactor-output-due-to-dry-weather-idUSL8N1X63FD
PARIS, Oct 26 (Reuters) – French utility EDF reduced output at its 900 megawatts (MW) Fessenheim 2 nuclear reactor on Friday as prolonged dry weather across west and central Europe has led to low water levels at the Rhine river which it uses to cool the reactor.
French grid operator RTE said EDF cut output at Fessenheim 2 by 130 MW due to environmental issues. EDF use water from the Rhine river as coolant for the plant, France’s oldest, which has two 900 MW reactors.
EDF could not be reached for comment on the situation.
October 27, 2018
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
climate change, France |
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France to decide over building new EPR nuclear reactors between 2021 and 2025: AFP https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-energy/france-to-decide-over-building-new-epr-nuclear-reactors-between-2021-and-2025-afp-idUSKCN1N00RO
PARIS (Reuters) 26 Oct 18– The French government will decide on whether or not to build a new generation of EPR reactors between 2021 and 2025, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported on Friday, citing a working document.
France’s nuclear industry could be asked to draw an “industrial plan” by mid-2021 that would guarantee future EPR reactors are able to produce energy at a reasonable price, estimated between 60 and 70 euros per megawatt, AFP reported.
The French government will present its 2018-28 energy strategy next month instead of at the end of this month, a government source told Reuters earlier this week.
The long-awaited plan (PPE) will outline how and by when France will reduce the share of nuclear energy in electricity generation, currently at about 75 percent, and is a crucial factor in the investment planning of state-owned utility EDF, which operates France’s 58 nuclear reactors.
Asked about the AFP story in an interview with France 2 television on Friday, Environment and Energy Minister Francois de Rugy declined to confirm the information.
De Rugy added to France 2: “I confirm that a working document is made to work on it and weigh different scenarios.”
Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain and Caroline Pailliez; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta
October 27, 2018
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France, politics |
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Le Monde 18th Oct 2018 The Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) fears that the site of the EPR nuclear
reactor in Flamanville (Channel) has other problems “very difficult” , in
addition to that of welds, said Thursday, October 18 the head of the EPR
pole of the ASN of Normandy. “I do not hide from you that ( … ) we can
imagine that there may indeed be other difficulties elsewhere.
We are looking at whether the welds will remain, or not, the only very difficult
topic ” of this project, said Eric Zelnio at a meeting of the Local
Information Committee (CLI) on the Flamanville nuclear site. This is the
reason why the ASN “is about to formulate to EDF a request to extend to
other equipment on the reactor” the requested quality review of the weld
problem.
October 20, 2018
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France, safety |
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Le Monde 11th Oct 2018 Flamanville** [Machine Translation] New delay in sight for Flamanville EPR. According to
the Nuclear Safety Authority, “important technical work” remains to be done
to correct the anomalies identified on certain welds. The “battle of the
welds” probably did not finish to delay the construction of the EPR of
Flamanville (Channel). In a note sent to EDF and made public on 3 October, the president of the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) has severely reframed the public electrician, worrying about a “monitoring failure” on the Normandy nuclear site .
“It’s the whole chain of surveillance that has
malfunctioned,” says ASN. Pierre-Franck Chevet also indicated that
“important technical work remains to be done” to correct anomalies
identified on certain welds. To understand the vivacity of the reaction of
the nuclear policeman, we must return to the origin of the case. In
February, EDF discovered problems on 38 secondary circuit welds. This water
circuit serves to evacuate the steam towards the turbine. It consists of
four loops, associated with four steam generators. At first, the group
explains that these pipes comply with the regulations but that they should
have corresponded to the “high quality” standard, which is more demanding.
Specifically, EDF had defined this new standard for the construction of the
EPR and was unable to enforce it by its own subcontractors. And things got
complicated a few weeks later. The extensive examination of the welds
reveals that a large part of them do not comply with the standard required
by EDF, or even the regulations required for pressurized nuclear equipment.
Result: the group has to take back fifty-three welds, knowing that a single
weld represents at least eight additional weeks of work.
https://www.lemonde.fr/energies/article/2018/10/11/nouveau-retard-en-vue-pour-l-epr-de-flamanville_5367969_1653054.html
October 13, 2018
Posted by Christina Macpherson |
business and costs, France |
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France to defend itself against nuclear tests complaint, France says it will defend itself against allegations of crimes against humanity for its nuclear weapons tests in the South Pacific. The overseas minister, Annick Girardin, made the comment in the senate two days after French Polynesian opposition politician Oscar Temaru told a UN meeting in New York that a complaint had been lodged in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Ms Girardin said France would defend itself and restate the facts, adding that it accepted its nuclear legacy with serenity……..https://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/368543/france-to-defend-itself-against-nuclear-tests-complaint
October 13, 2018
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France, legal |
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