Reactors can resist air crash too,says French firm

Asked about the safety concerns regarding the EPR,Oursel said,“Normally design precedes safety. But for the EPR,authorities concerned with safety were involved from the beginning — in Europe’s case,not just the French but also the German authorities.”

“The EPR has the highest safety standards,it can resist an air crash — an Airbus A380 crash,which is the largest aircraft. Also,if there’s an incident inside the reactor,there will be no impact,no release outside. This is a characteristic of third generation nuclear plants. All Areva reactors meet Generation 3 safety and security criteria,” he added.

Oursel agreed that there is a slowdown post-Fukushima,as various countries are conducting nuclear safety reviews. But except in Germany,what is being seen is a natural reaction. Quality and efficiency of nuclear power will matter more. As for Areva,no construction has been stopped,no order cancelled. After Fukushima,design,operation and management of potential crises will take special focus,although these are general areas of every nuclear project. “Areva will change any design if a safety authority wants it,” said Oursel,before going on to clarify that the EPR would have survived Fukushima because its emergency power supplies — six diesel generators in earthquake-proof structures — would be able to provide the energy necessary. “It’s necessary to imagine (in design stage) the disruption of the energy supply,” he said.

Nevertheless,the EPR has been taking a lot of time. Asked to explain the delays and the controversy about the reactor’s core,Oursel said the delays are caused by the fact that “each country tends to start the licensing process from scratch. However,no licensing authority has raised any significant question so far.”

Has there been any query from the Indian government post-Fukushima? Oursel replied that while Finland had raised some questions,Areva would be happy to answer questions India might raise through NPCIL. Right now,Areva is waiting for the Indian nuclear liability law.

“We believe we’re in a comfortable position because the law affects both Indian and foreign suppliers. A law is one thing,how it is applied is another,” remarked Oursel,without answering if the cost of equipment and construction is likely to go up as a result.

With four projects — one each in France and Finland and two in China — under construction,Areva hopes to seal the deal over Jaitapur by mid-2011,the framework agreement for which was signed between the NPCIL and Areva during French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit last year. The production target remains 2018.