France
CNNC, EDF sign low-carbon development MoU
CNHE and French company Lemer Pax sign cooperation agreement
Framatome releases 2021 financial results
Framatome reopens fuel manufacturing facility dedicated to TRIGA
Rosatom to attend at the World Nuclear Exhibition
Nuclear News Ticker - November 21, 2020
Nuclear News Ticker - October 29, 2020
440 nuclear unit are operating in the world, 54 units are under construction
442 nuclear units are operating in the world, 52 units are under construction
Rosatom and Orano subsidiaries sign contract to grow Russian capacities for depleted uranium reconversion
EDF can buy shares of AREVA
French units can be operated safely up to 50-60 years - Levi
Drones over France - the neverending story
The exact number of incidents with drones is difficult to call. It is not excluded that some of it were not reported in the press for reasons of secrecy. It is safe to say that it was at least 20 such flights.
CEA sold some AREVA shares
AREVA - falling Wednesday
The AREVA group, the French nuclear giant, warned of the uncertainty of future projections, thereby sending its shares in deep fall.
On Tuesday evening a group, which is 87% owned by the French state, reported the delay with the publication of the financial outlook for 2015-2016.
The group referred to monetary problems associated with protracted construction of Olkiluoto 3 in Finland, as well as with the slowness of the Japanese with the return of nuclear power plants in operation, shut down after the Fukushima accident.
Hollande will select units to be shutdown
Drones over France
The EDF company, the operator of alloperating nuclear power plants in France, recorded during October and November at least 16 cases of the appearance of drones over the area of the station.
Seven cases occur in November. During one of the October nights, almost simultaneously five (according to other sources, four) flights occurred.
Drones were observed in Penli, Flamanville, Fessenheim and a number of other sites. Besides plant, the mysterious owners interest the other nuclear facilities. On the night of 6 to 7 November 2014, the drone was flying over the nuclear center in Marcoule, bringing the total number of flights to 17.
Typically, drones occur at night. The police have no idea who runs it and for what purpose, says Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Segolene Royal. All of this is happening during the escalating of the worldwide confrontation with radical Islamist groups.
On Wednesday, there was hope that the mystery will be revealed. The police arrested three young people with drone.
French police detains three for drone flying over nuclear plant
Luc Oursel is no longer able to maintain his responsibilities as CEO of AREVA
South African President Approves Nuclear Agreement With France: Reports
Japan, France Agree on Expanding Defense Cooperation
Number of Centrifuges in Iran Sticking Point for P5+1 Nuclear Talks
Putin, Hollande to Discuss Ukrainian Crackdown Ahead of D-Day
Russian-French nuclear power declaration has been signed
French PM to Discuss Space, Nuclear Deals in Russia - Envoy
Russian Military Inspectors to Fly Over France
French Specialists Resume Work at Chernobyl Disaster Site
Jacques Repussard: knowledge, independence, proximity
During the French revolution, our ancestors chose a three word motto Liberty, equality, fraternity. Our institute has its own motto: Knowledge, independence, proximity.
Knowledge is indispensable in our work. Independence is also important, because there are conflicts of interest, economic aspects, and I have to be able to sign reports without any pressure being placed on me. And finally we need to be close to all problems, to be close to all players, including journalists, and to provide information and answers to all the questions you ask us.
To illustrate the point about proximity: several months after I joined IRSN a request from Greenpeace arrived addressed to me. I asked the experts to prepare a response. They told me: Mr Repussard, we're not used to responding to anti-nuclear organisations. To which I replied: We will not reveal any state or trade secrets, but we will not leave them without any answer.
France: Time Running Out for Iran
Paris considers bad signal Iran missile tests
Japan, France to take joint nuclear safety measures
France interested in building new nuclear power plant in Armenia
Russia, France to discuss global security in Moscow
French president calls for G20 to discuss international nuclear safety standards
Russian fuel supply to Iran fixes nuclear issue - France
Russia, France strike nuclear cooperation deal
Iran Six left with no choice but to impose sanctions - France
Christophe Behar: ASTRID will be a demonstrator of innovative options
We are preparing now a review of these design options and the decision has to be made in 2012, by the public authorities. ASTRID basic and detailed design will be launched afterwards if a green light is given, and we expect this important step to last five years, elaborates Mr. Behar.
FR spent fuel treatment and plutonium recycling will be based on current technologies (hydrometallurgy and melox base process). An evolution R&D is necessary but we already know that these technologies are basically suitable for fast reactor cycle. So the current recycling industrial experience is really a bridge between GII/GIII and GIV systems. This is possible since France consider only MOX fuel, or possibly carbide fuel in the future and both are suitable with Purex/Coex process.
The first and main goal of recycling is the multirecycling of plutonium, which is only possible in fast reactors and the coming R&D is to consolidate this objective.
We do also carry out R&D for minor actinides separation and transmutation in order to develop clean GIV cycle.
Greenpeace vessel in St. Petersburg for anti-nuclear waste protest
Greenpeace protests arrival of French nuclear cargo in Russia
France chooses a replacement for Madame Loverzhon
Several French media in late February predicted a swift resignation of the president of AREVA Anne Loverzhon. The atomic group refused to comment on rumors, but in the presidential administration immediate resignation refute, writes Figaro.
First reported the resignation Loverzhon website Wansquare. It refers in this case to reliable sources close to the president of France Nicolas Sarkozy. In the president team this news was immediately called the mistaken, but some observers in the sincerity of denial not believe it.
Sources of Wansquare believe that the resignation will be announced at the next meeting of the Supervisory Board following its consideration of the financial activities of AREVA.
Weekly L'Express managed to learn the name of the person who will replace Loverzhon - they allegedly will Pascal Suriss from a large electronics company Thales Group. A magazine Challenges names of three other candidates - Jean-Pierre Klamade from the company Rhodia, Marion Gill of INRA and Mireille Faugeres of Electricite de France.
French activists block train with radioactive waste for Russia
French media exposes secret report on French nuclear tests on humans
France, U.S. to present proposals on Iran sanctions to UN
Pascal Daures: nonproliferation is first line of defense against proliferation
We realize the quality of the works done in the Russian Federation and the quality of the network of the people. We can see very interesting presentations and meet very interesting people here.
How important is the nonproliferation problem in the modern world?
We all know that the proliferation is still important challenge for the world. The cases of the international attention are very well known - Iran, North Korea, some other countries.
So, the nonproliferation is and will remain anyway the first line of defense against the proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction. This is why this kind of meetings as we have now in Russia is very important as well as all other international initiatives just to guarantee that the first step of nonproliferation which is the safeguards and physical protection of nuclear materials is not failing somewhere, because if such failure will happen the consequences for the nonproliferation will be very serious.
Fast, thermal, dry, wet - notes of the eyewitness
At the end of November the second international scientific-technical conference on the theme Development of nuclear power on the basis of closed nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) with fast neutron reactors was held under the aegis Rosenergoatom. The simultaneous participation of both reactor physicists and NFC specialists became the spirit of this conference.
Although the speakers were invited in advance, the conference agenda envisaged open round-table discussion of presentations. International status of the conference first of all was due to participation of Frenchmen Bruno Sicard. The American delegation included people from the program for weapons-grade plutonium. It should be noted that the majority of foreign participants didn't demonstrate any activity at the meetings.
It was interesting for many of participants to hear the position of the French. Now the main criterion of Paris is the following - don't accumulate spent nuclear fuel (SNF). It is possible to achieve it only by reprocessing of spent fuel.
Massimo Salvatores: interest to fast reactors in France revives
Yes, there is the long experience of successful using of the MOX fuel both in thermal reactors and in the fast reactors. It has been a big achievement for the MOX fuel in the last twenty-thirty years.
Of course, for future fast reactors it will be more challenges because somehow or other we are thinking on the introducing of all the transuranic elements including the minor actinides. Let point that the future fuel is more challenging. It implies the separation techniques for the reprocessing of fuel will be advanced. Also the fabrication of the future fuel will be something very challenging.
These questions are discussed on the international level. One typical example of the international cooperation is the Generation-IV international forum where these issues are widely discussed.
New sarcophagus for Chernobyl NPP
Rosenergoatom - EDF exchange of experience
Russia needs in foreign technologies for realization its nuclear program
Georgia mulls nuclear reactor construction with French help
SUEZ denies having made a decision to build a power plant in Tricastin
AREVA group - end of beginning or beginning of end?
However many French researchers specialized in nuclear field do not want to accept the perfunctory explanations and prefer to find the real reasons of AREVA failures. Not so long time ago - in 70th-80th - the French nuclear industry had the unique experience of ambitious nuclear program realization, up to 12 new reactors per year. But the gas pause affects in quite complete collapse of nuclear monopoly. The reactor industry of France was turned to the foreign markets and sequestered. The last French reactor unit was commissioned in 1999.
The splendors and miseries of AREVA
Ceteris paribus, the 5:1 final score could be easily transformed into 6:0. The hypothetical advantages of the paper tiger - EPR-1660 reactor being existed on the paper only - have been completely graded by the reality of the Russian VVER-1000 existence. At that time, the technical problems in Bushehr and Tianwan have not been floated to the surface, and the Muscovites were busy preparing the forthcoming start-up of one Iranian and tow Chinese reactors. In Finnish bid, the Atomstroyexport has needed the next to nothing - just wisdom of its leadership and a little bit of governmental support. Anyway, the Russians lost, the French won.
