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The Future of Nuclear in French and European
Energy Policy and Strategy

Jean-Pierre Favennec
Tokyo May 24, 2017

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Nuclear Energy

How powerful it is!

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How many wind power installations to replace one Nuclear power plant?
Same thing in terms of surface for photovoltaic panels?
About 1,500 wind turbines of 1.5 MW each.
60 to 120 million m2, depending on the geographical location.

Uranium has a very high energy density compare to the other fuels.
under current techniques for producing energy:

One tone of Uranium = 10000 & 16000 tones of Oil
Unfortunately it was first introduced by military actions!
Little Boy & Fat MAN in 1945IEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

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Nuclear energy trend

An unfortunate birth (1945, Hiroshima)
Very rapid development after the second war with commercial
reactors in the early 1960s
An almost halted in the 1980s after accidents TMI (1979) andChernobyl (1986) but also for other reasons:• Improved efficiency,• Reduced demand• Overcapacities• Collapse of fossil fuel prices• Liberalization of energy markets• High interest rates

A renewed motivation today (security of supply, fighting against
greenhouse gases, still expensive renewable)

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Generation by country

Nuclear by country (2015)
Share in the electricity mix

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Nuclear power plants in the world (as of 2014)

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Nuclear reactor construction starts(1955-2014)

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FissionIEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Chain reactionIEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

BWR reactor

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PWR reactor

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Fuel cycle

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Source: IEA.

Uranium reserves (2015)

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Uranium production (2015)

Total production = 56 000 tons
Source: Nuclear Energy Agency

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Uranium demand (2015)

Total demand = 56 600 tons
Source: Nuclear Energy Agency

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Source: Nuclear Energy Agency

Uranium production & requirements(1949-2015)

Uranium conversion & enrichment

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25% of the world enrichment
Gaseousdiffusion
enrichment

Conversion
George Besse Plant(Eurodif)

Yellow cake to UF6(gas state)

Centrifugeenrichment

URENCO Plant

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Principle elements of a nuclear plant

Fuel that undergoes fission.

Moderator that slows down the speed of neutrons and maintain thechain reaction.

Coolant which transmits the heat generated in the reactor and at thesame time cooling of reactor.

Fuel, moderator and coolant vary according to the reactors' types. It isthe combination of these three elements which defines the type ofthe nuclear power.

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Different types of reactor

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Nuclear power plants in commercial operation

French nuclear power plants

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Gravelines

Type : PWR

Penly
PaluelWestinghouse Licence :Cattenom• 34 of 900 MW• 20 of 1300 MW
ChoozFlamanville

Framatome License :Paris

NogentFessenheim

St-Laurent• 4 of 1450 MW

Loire

ChinonTotal installed power : 63.1 GW

Production in 2016 : 427 TWh

CivauxDampierre
Belleville
Bugey

VienneLe Blayais

1200 MWSt-Alban

PWR
PLANTS

900MW1300MW

1400
MWOn operation

FNR

Cruas

GolfechUnder construction
235 MW

Cooling process
Open cycle
Closed cycle

CreysMalville*
Rhône

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Tricastin
Marcoule

RWP : Pressurized water reactor

FNR : Fast neutrons reactor

21

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Japan's reactors

The Yucca mountain disposal plant in Nevada

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1 Shipping to the site by trucks or trains
2 Preparation for storage (removing shippingcasks and putting inner tubes in a steel container)

3 An automated system for sending containers tothe tunnels

4 Storing containers along the tunnels

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Different reactor's generations

Fast neutron reactors

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CEA site in CADARACHE

ITER

TORE SUPRAIEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Energy in France

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Source: IEA.

Total primary energy supply in France(1972-2014)

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Source: IEA.

Share of total primary energy supply in France(2014)IEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Source: IEA.

Electricity generation by fuel in France(1972-2014)

Installed power capacity in France(end 2016)

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Solar6772
Wind11670

Hydro25482

Bioenergy1918

Total installedcapacity
130818 MW

Natural gas11712
Oil7137 Coal
2997

Source: RTE, Bilan électrique 2016.

Nuclear63130

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Source: French Ministry of Energy

France greenhouse gas emissions(1990-2013)

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Source: French Ministry of Energy

France GHG objectives & trajectory towards 2050

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The objectives:

Source: RTE, Bilan électrique 2016.

France’s “Energy Transition Law”

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Nuclear energy in France

Creation of Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique after the war bothfor military and civil purposes

First reactors : Graphite Gas in the 60’S1973 : first oil shock• A large fraction of electricity is coming from heavy fuel oil (15 MT peryear )• 5 relatively small nuclear plants• March 1974 : meeting of the council of ministers – decision to speed
up the nuclear programme

59 reactors built between 1976 and 1990 (4 to 5 reactors peryear)

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Nuclear energy in France

PWR plants (Westinghouse technology adapted to frenchtechnology)
Capacity : from 900 MW at the beginning to 1400 MW at the end

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Nuclear energy in France : public perception

By 1975, some opposition from part of the scientific community.
Argument : nuclear energy consumes more electricity than it
produces (first construction period)
Later limited opposition
Up to recently political parties from the left (communist party,some socialists) and from the right (« Gaullist and followers »)support the nuclear programme
During the last campaign, the new President (Emmanuel Macron)supports nuclear. But the lftt wing (remaining of the socialist
party, new left wing party) are against nuclear
However more than 50 % of the population supports nuclear,even if this percentage is slightly declining

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Nuclear energy in France : public perception

So only a limited fraction of the population is strongly againstnuclear
The percentage of people against nuclear is still lower if you
explain that thanks to nuclear the electricity price is low

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Nuclear energy in France : energy transition law

For years, as in many countries, environmental protection has
become a major issue (Rio Summit – 1992; Jacques Chirac, french
president, in 2002 in South Africa :our house is burning and we do
not look at it.)
In 2007 « Grenelle de l’ environnement » - large conference onenvironmental issues. Good decisions but unfortunately, few
endorsed because of the 2008 crisis (subprimes)
More recently : only 50 % of electricity should come from nuclear
by 2025 (against 75 %) nowKeep in mind that electricity consumtion is slightly declining nowThe total capacity of nuclear plants will be limited to 63 GWIEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Nuclear energy in France : life duration of the reactors

As in many countries, life expectency of a reactor is expected to
be 40 years when it is built
However, in the US for example, the operation of most reactors
has been extended to 60 years
Since most reactors have been built between 1975 and 1990,
without extension we should start closing reators now
Life duration will very probably extended to 50 years, probably to60
This will make necessary (according to Agence de Sécurité
Nuvléaire – Agency for Nuclear Security) un « grand carénage » large maintenance programme.
Cost of this programme : about 50 billions EurosIEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

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Nuclear energy in France : decommissionning

A few reactors built in the 50’s and 60’s have been closed anddecommissionning started
Cost of decommissionning of a plant buil between 1975 and 1990
is estimated around 800 million Euros (15 % of construction plant,
which was close yo 5 billion euros (5000 Euro per KW installed))
Cost of decommissioning is included in the electricity bill of thefrench consumers
EDF set up a fund which has now collected 10 Billion Euros andwill continue to feed the fundA subsidiary has been created to deal with decomissionningIEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

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Nuclear energy in France : waste disposal

Some countries (US) do not process wastes in order to avoid theproduction of plutonium which could be used to make atomic
weapons
France has set up the La Hague plant where french wastes (andwastes fromseveral other countries) are processed
Ultimate wastes should be stored in underground storage. LaBure site should be 500 meters deep in very old clay layersIEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Energy in Europe

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Source: Eurostat.

Electricity production share by sources in Europe(2014)IEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Source: Eurostat.

Energy intensity in kgoe per 1000 EUR(2015)IEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Energy dependency rate in %(2000 & 2014)

The energy dependency
rate shows theproportion of energythat an economy must
import. It is defined as
net energy imports(imports minus exports)
divided by gross inlandenergy consumption
plus fuel supplied tointernational maritime
bunkers, expressed as apercentage. A negative
dependency rate
indicates a net exporterof energy.

Source: Eurostat.

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Source: Eurostat.

EU imports of crude oil by partners in %(2015)IEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Source: Eurostat.

EU imports of coal by partners in %(2015)IEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Source: Eurostat.

EU imports of natural gas by partners in %(2015)IEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Source: Eurostat.

Electricity prices for households in €/kWh(H1 2016)

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Source: Eurostat.

Gas prices for households in €/kWh(H1 2016)

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Source: Eurostat.

Electricity prices for industries in €/kWh(H1 2016)

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Source: Eurostat.

Gas prices for industries in €/kWh(H1 2016)

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Source: Eurostat.

Share of renewables in final energy consumption in %(2015)IEEJ：May 2017 © IEEJ2017

Energy in Germany

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Electricity generation capacity in Germany(2002-2017)

Annual variation of net installed generation capacity in Germany(2002-2017)

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Annual electricity generation in Germany(2002-2017)

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Electricity generation in Germany(2016)

Contact :report@tky.ieej.or.jp