Search
JOIN OUR NETWORK

     

     

 

 

« French "nuclear miracle" plagued by fast-rising reactor costs and "crowding out" of renewables | Main | EDF net income takes a dive due to U.S. reactor project »
Thursday
Sep022010

More problems plague French reactor

Electricite de France, currently constructing the Areva EPR reactor at Flamanville in Normandy has admitted that it has encountered yet another technical problem. Faults in welds of the reactor containment were found during an inspection in July by the Autorite de Surete Nucleaire. The same site had experienced delays due to technical problems with the concrete foundations and other issues that have marred progress and damaged the Areva claim that the EPR is a breakthrough in reactor design. The problems mirror the technical set-backs and cost-overrruns at Areva's EPR construction site in Finland which is now considered to be at least three years behind schedule.