With 58 reactors in 19 power plants, France is ranked first among the
European nuclear power and second in the world behind the U.S., which account
for 104 nuclear reactors.
76.9% of the electricity in France comes from nuclear. But it represents only
17% of total French energy.
Overview of the 19 French nuclear plants still operating.
The plant is located in Belleville Lere in the Cher. Built in 1980, this
nuclear facility was commissioned in 1988-1989. With two Pressurized Water
Reactors (PWR) with an output of 1,300 megawatts (MW), the Belleville site was
produced in 2008, according to EDF, close of 16.03 billion kWh or 4% of national
production electricity from nuclear sources.
The site was not chosen at random. The proximity of the Loire allows to pump the
water needed for cooling facilities. According to the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA), the site should not stop his activity before 2025.
Located 60 km from Bordeaux on the Gironde estuary, the nuclear Blayais
covers an area of 8000 hectares in the heart of a swamp. The plant operates with
4 REP 900 MW. The waters of the Gironde, collected via submarine pump, cool the
reactors.
Commissioning June 21, 1981, the plant supplies the Aquitaine region in nuclear
power. In 2008 it produced 27.8 billion kwh which is 1.5 times the annual needs
of its region with electricity.
Highly exposed to risk of flooding, the site should undergo Blayais work to
improve internal and external protections
The plant located 40 km east of Lyons employs about 1,200 people. It covers
100 hectares near the Rhone. The river cools PWR; aéoréfrigérantes towers
measuring 128 meters high.
The site produces a year about 25 billion kWh which is roughly 40% of the
electricity consumption of the Rhone-Alpes. Should be 5.3 million tonnes of oil
to satisfy this demand for energy.
The central nuclear electricity production (NPP) is Cattenom nuclear site
located near the borders of Germany and Luxembourg, 5 km from Thionville in
Lorraine.
The plant is equipped with four powerful engines of 1300 MW each. Each year they
produce 35 billion KWh which is about 8% of national electricity production, EDF.
Cattenom is so central to the 7th World
The Moselle River supplies water to the center so as to cool the reactors. The
artificial lake Mirgenbarch (Cattenom) and Pre-old Lake (Vosges) also provide
water for cooling towers.
It’s not just the wine that makes the reputation of the town of Chinon! On
the banks of the Loire, the nuclear power plant was located in the middle of
Natural Park Loire-Anjou-Touraine, 50 km from Tours.
In 2008, she returned with her four PWR reactors of 900 MW over 24 billion kWh.
A unique feature of this building which employs 1281 people is the height of its
cooling towers: they do not exceed 28 meters high.
In October 2002, a report by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has highlighted
the fragility of the reactor cooling system in case of earthquakes exceeding a
magnitude of 4 on the Richter scale.
On the banks of the Meuse, the Chooz nuclear power station stands between
Charleville-Mezieres (France) and Dinant (Belgium). This site is divided into
two stations: Chooz A and B. The Chooz Chooz Site A is currently being
dismantled. With the first PWR reactor, the plant was discontinued in October
1991. The dismantling is expected to continue until 2020-2025.
The site is Chooz B, meanwhile, has two PWR 1450 MW of power. The first two
units are the precursors of the draft European Pressurized Water Reactor, or EPR.
This new technology should allow for better site security, analysis and rapid
diagnosis.
At the heart of Poitou-Charentes, NPP Civaux consists of two units of
electricity production 1500 MW each. According to EDF, they are equipped with
engines, turbines and control rooms the most modern of all the French nuclear
facilities, like the central Ardennes Chooz.
The plant, built on the banks of the Vienne, has a peculiarity: the impressive
size of its cooling towers: they are around 178 m high.
In 2008, the site has produced 21.2 billion kWh in 2004 and has acquired ISO
14001 certification for environmental management.
Spread over an area of 148 hectares on the right bank of the Rhone, the
plant-Cruas Meysse (Ardèche) product through its four reactors of 900 MW PWR
typing each about 500 billion kilowatt-hours since its commissioning in April
1983 . In one year, the site produces about 40% of the electricity consumption
of the Rhone-Alpes.
This site has unfortunately made the headlines with several incidents: in 1999,
an evacuation of staff had been ordered due to radioactive discharges. In 2004,
tritium, a radioactive element, was found in samples taken in the groundwater.
Last failure to date: a cooling problem with one of four reactors in December
2009.
In operation since March 23, 1980, four production units of 900 MW each
generate annually 24 billion KWh of electricity or 5% of national production and
7-10 times the consumption in the Loiret.
This plant has been aging incidents identified by different ratio of the ASN. On
April 2, 2001, an employee has made mishandling caused an unloading of the heart
of the reactor No. 4.
Another highlight: EDF has launched an emergency plan on the night of 9 to 10
April 2007. An emergency generator has helped fuel the reactor No. 3 private
outside its supply system. This failure has claimed for weeks that reactor
shutdown.
Along the Grand Canal of Alsace, Central Fessenheim locates 20 km north of
the city of Mulhouse. Equipped with two reactors of 900 MW ERP, the site has
occurred in the space of thirty years of activity around 320 billion kWh.
Fessenheim is the oldest site of French nuclear facilities. Two reports ASN
dating from the 70 evaluated his life, safely, at age 40. Yet other plants of
this kind in the world show a very good aging infrastructure and growing further
postponement of closure Fessenheim. A decision that triggers a burst of
anti-nuclear region.
Posted in the shelter of a granite cliff 70 meters high, 30 km south-west of
Cherbourg, near the reprocessing plant at La Hague, Flamanville occupies the
central place of an old iron mine underwater.
Two production units of 1300 MW issue, each year, 18 billion kilowatt hours on
the national grid.
Flamanville should welcome the draft European Pressurized Reactor, or EPR. This
future reactor power 1650 MW unsurpassed should enter service in 2012 but
construction is delayed by two years according to the “Le Figaro in January
2010. This is nothing compared to the site of EPR in Finland which will be four
years late!
Located between the towns of Agen and Toulouse on the banks of the Garonne,
the two production units in central Golfech respectively were begun in 1991 and
1994. These pressurized water reactor nuclear power show 1300 MW producing an
average annual 17.08 billion kwh of electricity in 2008. This is equivalent to
the power consumption of the Midi-Pyrenees.
On 13 and 14 June 2003, when the heat wave, the central Golfech rejected for
several hours in the water too hot, is thereby offense.
Third largest producer of nuclear energy in the world, the Gravelines power
plant camped at nearly 20 km from Dunkerque and Calais in the north.
With 6-PWR reactors of 900 MW, this site produces annually an average of 37.6
billion kilowatt-hours is the annual consumption of electricity in the
Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Gravelines is the second most powerful central Europe, behind Zaporizhia,
Ukraine.
Number of Units: 6
Commissioning: 1985
Production of electricity per year: 38 TWh
Power: 5400 MW
Stop activity planned site: 2020-2025
The Nogent-sur-Seine is housed at 110 km southeast of Paris, in
Champagne-Ardennes. The site consists of two production units, each comprising a
nuclear reactor, PWR 1300 MW Cooling towers and a 165 m high.
The central issue of the fourth year in electricity consumption of the
Ile-de-France is 16 billion kWh. The waters of the Seine in good working reactor
coolant.
Several unannounced inspections of the ASN in 2001 highlighted the failure of
the site in terms of fighting against fire. Forty-five minutes were required for
the response team arrives on the scene.
Employees of the Central Peluel Norman enjoyed a panorama with views over the
sea Located near Fecamp and Le Havre, the site features four pressurized water
reactors of 1300 MW with an annual production in 2008 of 37 2 billion kWh, about
7% of the total electricity generated by EDF.
The plant has experienced some incidents, the most notable are:
the influx of algae in the filters of the pumping station cooling system driven
by the storm in the Channel 23 June 2004. Result: the reactors were shut down.
With 70 hectares munching on the sea, the central Penly could become
operational by 1990. His two ERP reactors generate 1,300 MW between 17 and 20
billion kilowatt hours of electricity to the national grid.
The site Penly 1 and 2 will expand and accommodate Penly 3. In January 2009, EDF
has confirmed the decision to build a second EPR on French soil after the
Flamanville site.
This choice has caused a demand for public debate before the National Commission
which was accepted. He is currently taking place since March 24 and ends July 24
next. If this debate gives birth to a mouse, the construction of the EPR should
start in 2012.
The St Alban is located in the heart of the Isère, 50 km south of the city of
Lyon. 12% of the electricity consumption of the Rhone-Alps, or 16.5 billion kWh
produced by the two huge reactors PWR located along the Rhone.
The central Golfech not only during the heatwave of 2003 to reject the water too
hot in the river that borders it. The ASN said on its website in August 2003
that the site of St. Alban exceeding the temperature in terms of water discharge
on July 14 of that year.
Located on the left bank of the Loire, halfway Orleans and Blois, the
St-Laurent-des-Eaux has two PWR reactors of 900 MW.
Two more reactors are gas-graphite type currently being dismantled which is not
without problems. Indeed, the National Association of Local information hairpin
mismanagement of 2000 tons of graphite shirts in two silos site. These compounds
are highly radioactive.
2008: anus horibilis for Tricastin site. In addition to the reported
incidents at the plant, the site located south of the Drome, on the right bank
floodway of the Rhone, had a uranium leak at a tank cleaning.
A subsidiary of Areva, the Socatri, has officially announced that 224 kg of
uranium were overwhelmed and had reached 74 kg and the Lauzon River Gaffiere.































The objective
Shine the nail
Saltwater
Mixing metal
Copper layer
Project
Mission
Dimensions
Modules
Party emerged
Submerged
Premiere