WNE2023 | COUNTRY PAVILLIONS France: Powering up nuclear continued
Left: Stress corrosion cracking found at reactors such as Civaux have curbed French nuclear production in recent years.
nuclear power they are now subject to ten-year reviews to allow their continued operation. In February 2021 ASN announced that the country’s then 32 operating 900 MWe reactors would be allowed a further 10-year operation period subject to various improvements. The programme scheduled to run until 2031 and upgrade works have already been completed at several units, including Tricastin 1 and Bugey 2. Subsequently, EdF said that it was looking at 60-year lifetimes
will then take about seven years for commissioning in 2035. In January 2022 France’s Minister for the Ecological Transition announced that plans for the new reactors were to be submitted around 2023 with a target date of 2035-7 for the reactors to be commissioned. In addition to the declared new build programme a further eight new reactors are under consideration after French President Emmanuel Macron said it was time for a nuclear renaissance in France. Macron also said that that operational life of all existing reactors should be extended without compromising safety. The average age of EDF’s reactor fleet is 37 years and the reactors were originally only licensed to 30 years. In light of new prorities for
for all its reactors. To take them beyond 40 years would involve replacement of all steam generators (three in each 900 MWe reactor and four in each 1300 MWe unit) as well as other refurbishment measures. Refurbishing each reactor would cost some €400-600m per unit. Alongside its efforts to develop new larger reactors, EDF is also developing a smaller modular reactor design under its NUWARD subsidiary, see page 32.
1963
With the commissioning of Olkiluoto 3 Finland is continuing to embrace nuclear power and is taking a lead on waste management too.
Commissioning of Unit 3 at Finland’s Olkiluoto nuclear power plant has allowed the country to join an exclusive club of European nations that has successfully expanded its nuclear capacity in recent decades. Finland now has five operating nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of close to 4.4 GW. Nuclear thus supplies around a third of the nation’s electricity demand. Two BWRs and the EPR at Olkiluoto are operated by Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) while the two PWRs (VVER) at Loviisa are operated by Fortum Corporation. The national reactor fleet has been upgraded repeatedly and now supplies considerable more energy than the initial name plate capacity. Finland is also looking at extending the operating lifespan of some of its reactors. Earlier this year TVO started the environmental impact assessment procedure for a possible extension of the operating permit and a further possible power increase of units 1&2 at Olkiluoto. TVO is looking at increasing outputs by 80 MWe each to reach approximately 970 MWe per unit. Their original 660 MWe capacity has already been increased to 890 MWe. The current operating licences are due to expire in 2038 and TVO is considering at least another decade of operations. Unit 1 was commissioned in 1978 and unit 2 in 1980. “Extending the service life would support domestic year-round
French industry has been supporting commercial nuclear operation for nearly 60 years
Finland: Expanding the nuclear footprint
Above: Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 recently began operation after a 14-year delay
and weather-independent electricity production and Finland’s and Europe’s climate goals,” said TVO’s Director of Electricity Production Marjo Mustonen. Finland is also well advanced in its waste management facilities
when compared with other nations. It is the world’s first country to construct a high-level waste repository at Onkalo. Posiva, the state- backed company behind the development is currently in the process of obtaining a license to operate the facility and it is expected to begin operations next year.
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