[en] In this report we give an overview of the French nuclear reactor program in the domains of competitiveness, energetic independence, electricity exportations and environmental impact

[en] Here is the opening address of Mr P. Daures, general director of EDF (''Electricite de France''), at the opening session of the Topnux'96 conference. He speaks about nuclear energy, its past and its future. The main idea of his speech is the following: the nuclear energy must not be forgotten in the future if we want to guarantee to the whole world, a safe, cheap and acceptable for the environment supply. Moreover, when we do the balance of the nuclear energy past development, we see that the set missions on the economical, industrial and strategical levels of safety have been achieved. The public opinion has well resisted. Today, the future challenges are not the same as there were thirty years ago but they are important too. The new challenges for nuclear power to have a chance of success in the future are: reassure as for risks and long-range effects of nuclear power, lead to competitive production costs. (O.M.)

[en] This paper is the speech given by Pierre Daures, delegate head-manager of EdF (Electricite de France), after the two days of debate and presentation of the EPR (European Pressurized water Reactor) project. The speech focusses on the economical interest of the project, of its evolutionary and safety aspects. The drawbacks of the project are the cost overruns inferred from the ambitious safety objectives and the competitiveness of the project with respect to other energy sources. The French-German cooperation is one of the main aspect of this project and provides several advantages such as the standardization of design and safety rules which marks the first step of a progressive worldwide standardization of nuclear power plant designs, and a strong European interaction between electric utilities, industrialists and safety authorities. (J.S.)

[en] The volume of nuclear power produced in France is the result of a consistent and unswerving energy policy adopted in 1974 in the aftermath of the first petroleum crisis, when the oil bill went skyrocketing. The purpose was to guarantee French energy independence and supply reliable, clean energy at an affordable price. Twenty years later, these objectives have been met. France's energy independence was 20% in 1970. It is 52% now. The cost of the kilowatt-hour is among lowest in Europe. Nuclear power plant safety has increased over the years, as has environmental protection. For the future, EdF is continuing its efforts in four directions : operation of existing facilities; fuel cycle optimization; nuclear waste management; and development of reactors of the future. (author)

[en] This paper gives answers to some questions asked by the public opinion about the opportunity of the French-German European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) project. The first aspect is the economical interest of the project taking into account the increasing power demand. The second point is the development of new safety systems which influences the public acceptance of nuclear power, and the standardization of conception and safety rules which increases the competitiveness of the project. Finally, the French-German cooperation has reinforced the fundamental link between electricians, industrialists and safety authorities. (J.S.). 2 figs

No abstract available

[en] The economic aspects of nuclear energy offer and demand on the process steam market are successively examined

[en] Conclusions: DEVCO: 25+ year experience in NS cooperation: TACIS, INSC-I and INSC-II instruments: managing a large number of various NS cooperation projects successfully. These projects effectively contributed to increase the level of nuclear and radiation safety in many countries worldwide. Before 2007 the focus was on Russia and Ukraine, after that the INSC became available all over the world. Involvement of EU TSOs: In the last 10 years the number of EU TSOs contributing to INSC and T&T projects gradually increased; this resulted a widened project resource pool and better quality. EC proposes to continue the INSC after 2020.

[en] Verification analysis of samples taken at large reprocessing plants can be performed off site after shipment of the samples to a specialized laboratory of, more advantageously in terms of cost and timeliness, on site. The latter may be achieved either by using permanently installed equipment which is operated by an inspector or in fully equipped on-site laboratory. Analytical techniques suitable for determining uranium and plutonium isotopic compositions as well as the respective element concentrations, are applied. Experience with a number of these techniques has shown that effective analytical support in safeguarding large reprocessing plants can be provided to the safeguards authorities

[en] From the early 1990's until today, an increasing number of cases of illicit trafficking of radioactive materials has been recorded through seizures of such material, particularly in central European states. Many of these seizures involve nuclear material. Together with the candidate countries, the Inst. for Transuranium Elements (ITU) has set up joint projects for increasing the efficiency in combating illicit trafficking. A comprehensive approach was developed involving all competent authorities in the individual countries. In a first step a picture of the situation was established with respect to a national response plan (interaction of the different authorities), on-site categorization and analytical capabilities. The second step offers assistance in developing a national response plan which is consistent with the 'Model Action Plan' recommended by the International Technical Working Group. Furthermore, training sessions were offered (jointly organized with the IAEA) dedicated to law enforcement officers and to scientists and tailored to the specific tasks each of them has to perform. In the light of the information gained in the first phase of the project, basic equipment for categorization and hazard evaluation was delivered, furthermore support in the characterization of nuclear material was offered on basis of bilateral agreements with ITU. The final step of these projects consisted in demonstration exercises which were held in different countries. They aimed at showing that the national response plan has been established and that the authorities and the individuals involved act accordingly