2010-2019 From Fukushima to Flamanville, the dark nuclear decade. Almost everywhere, tightening safety standards has required investments in existing power plants, which may have helped raise the price of nuclear electricity, says Peter Fraser of the International Energy Agency. But the Fukushima disaster only reinforced existing trends. And the years 2010 were indeed that of the destruction of nuclear power. “The main factor is economic,” he says. In advanced economies, the equation has become very complicated. ” Renewable energies are now “a more economical way to generate electricity”. In addition, in Western countries, “it was very difficult to build on time and on budget”, whether in France, Finland or the United States.
Les Echos 25th Dec 2019 read more »
France’s EDF has found 28 faulty electrical components at its 1,300 megawatt Penly 2 nuclear reactor, the country’s nuclear regulator said on Tuesday, rating the incident a 2 on the INES nuclear scale that goes up to a maximum of 7. The ASN regulator said the faulty electrical components meant the reactor’s backup systems were unavailable. “This unavailability of several important safety materials had no consequences on people and the environment,” the watchdog said, adding EDF was in the process of replacing the defective components. It said EDF was checking other reactors that could be affected by the faulty parts and would replace any found. The Penly 2 reactor has been offline since July 27 for maintenance and refueling. It is expected to resume power generation on Dec. 29.
Financial Post 24th Dec 2019 read more »
Les Echos 24th Dec 2019 read more »