“We all owe the victims of Chernobyl to get out of nuclear energy,”- said the deputy director of the political department of Greenpeace Germany Tobias Münchmeier at the international conference "Chernobyl +30", which was held in Minsk on April 24.
- The construction of a nuclear power plant is political ambitions, and only then energy. If a country has access to such technologies, this is a weapon of state blackmail., - another loud statement was made at the conference from Professor Alexey Yablokov.
Today, the EU countries are switching to renewable energy sources, using wind and solar energy in technologies. It cannot be said that this sector occupies the main place in obtaining electricity, but today international experts see this as the future development of the energy sector of the EU countries.
In 2014, the production of wind power worldwide reached 694 TWh/year, solar 185 and nuclear 165. The share of nuclear power decreased by 10.8 percent.
As of January 1, 2016, 398 reactors are operating worldwide. Since 2000, 40 power units have been closed. In 28 EU countries since 1988 their number has decreased by 25 percent (128 reactors), said in his report a senior fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (London) Anthony Frogatt. The main nuclear powers are still the United States and France.
France now has 58 reactors in operation, but the nuclear industry is on the verge of bankruptcy because the costs of producing nuclear energy have not been foreseen. Now the government is discussing the transition to renewable energy, the cost of which is decreasing. It is not yet entirely clear how this will happen, but by 2025 it is planned to reduce the number of operating reactors by 25% percent, said the director of the Paris office of the non-governmental organization World Information Service Energy Yves Marignac.
By the way, as of July 1, 2015, 99 reactors were operating in the United States, but they had not built nuclear power plants for about 15 years. Today the United States is building 5 power units.
In total, as of April 1, 2016, 64 reactors are being built in the world, 16 of them in Europe and 22 in China.
The nuclear energy map of the United States is essentially a map of the industrialized regions of the country. In those places where there are no nuclear power plant icons, physical and geographical inconveniences can be diagnosed: the Appalachians (plus the blue grass of Kentucky), the mountainous deserts of the West.
On the map of France, nuclear power plants also gravitate towards the main industrial nuclei and areas: the English Channel coast integrated with Great Britain, the northern integration zones with Belgium and Luxembourg literally wedged into Belgium *), the Rhone Valley. Only Paris is “spared”: nuclear power plants are moved away from it, but only a hundred kilometers, and so, it is in the atomic ring.
Paris really needs the energy of nuclear power plants, but it is a little “afraid” of the territorial proximity of the stations, and the closer the land to Paris, the more expensive it is. And here is the second French bald spot - a zone free from nuclear reactors - the Central Array. Here the situation is different: it would be possible to build here, but it is not necessary. This is the most backward part of France - the central periphery. The overestimated need for energy has not yet crawled here.
A more cautious placement, perhaps, in Japan, which has been experiencing radiophobia since the days of Hiroshima. There is no such thing as a nuclear power plant in the suburbs of New York or Chicago. Most of the nuclear power plant's capacity is not on the hyper-developed and not hyper-populated eastern coast, but on the western side, in the coastal strip of the Sea of Japan, which is "backyard" for Japan. But here, too, two gigantic Fukushima and Hamaoka are only two hundred kilometers from Tokyo (as are Desnogorsk Smolensk and Udomelsk Kalininskaya - from Moscow).
Japanese firms are going to build the first nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates.
* And nothing, Belgium suffers: after all, it imports electricity from France.
http://samogo.net/articles.php?id=900
The most powerful power plant in the world, at the moment, is the Chinese hydroelectric power plant on the Yangtze River - "Three Gorges". Geographically, it is located next to the city of Sandouping, Yichang County in Hubei Province. And although the station has not yet reached its full design capacity of 22.4 GW with an average annual output of 100,000 GWh, but already in 2008 its total installed capacity was more than 14.1 GW.
And even with an incomplete figure, the Sanxia HPP, aka the Three Gorges, overtook the Brazilian-Paraguayan HPP Itaipu, with an installed capacity of 12.6 GW, which has been the world leader in the ranking of the most powerful hydroelectric power plants since 1991.
The most powerful power plant in Russia is the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP with an installed capacity of 6.4 GW. This power plant is located on the Yenisei River, in the village of Cheryomushki (Khakassia), near Sayanogorsk.
In addition, it is worth noting the world's most powerful nuclear power plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa located in Japan, Fukushima. This nuclear power plant has 10 reactors with a total capacity of 9096 MW. The seven units of this plant have a total capacity of over 8,000 MW.
The largest solar power plant is the Sarnia power plant located in southwestern Ontario, Canada.
Alexander Ozerov, Samogo.Net
The most powerful power plant © 2011
http://www.manbw.ru/photo/atom/uk-scotland.html
Nuclear Power Plants Photos, UK  Chapelcross Location: Dumfriesshire Operator: British Nuclear Fuels Ltd Configuration: 4 X 60 MW gas cooled nuclear reactor Commissioning: 1959-1960 (shut down in 2004) Reactor supplier: UK Atomic Energy Authority Turbogenerator supplier: Parsons Photograph by Ric Gemmell and courtesy of BNFL  Dounreay DFR Location: Caithness Operator: UK Atomic Energy Authority Configuration: 1 X 14 MW Fast Breeder Reactor Commissioning: 1958 (shut down 1969) Reactor supplier: UK Atomic Energy Authority Turbine generator supplier: n/a Commentary: The Dounreay nuclear power plant was intended for research. Photograph courtesy of UKAEA  Dounreay PFR Location: Caithness Operator: UK Atomic Energy Authority Configuration: 1 X 250 MW Fast Breeder Commissioning: 1976 (shut down 1994) Reactor supplier: UK Atomic Energy Authority Turbine generator supplier: General Electric (UK) Photograph courtesy of UKAEA  Hunterston-B Location: Ayrshire Operator: British Energy plc Configuration: 2 X 625 MW advanced gas-cooled reactor Commissioning: 1976, 1977 Reactor supplier: Nuclear Power Group Turbine generator supplier: Parsons Photograph courtesy of British Energy  Hunterston-A Location: Ayrshire Operator: British Nuclear Fuels Ltd Configuration: 2 X 160 MW GCR Commissioning: 1964 (shutdown 1989-1990) Reactor supplier: General Electric (UK) Turbine generator supplier: Parsons Engineering: General Electric (UK) , Mowlem Comment: When completed, it was the world's largest nuclear power plant Photograph by David Partner and courtesy of BNFL  Torness Location: East Lothian Operator: British Energy plc Configuration: 2 X 700MW advanced gas cooled reactor Commissioning: 1988-1989 Reactor supplier: National Nuclear Corp Turbine generator supplier: General Electric (UK) Photograph courtesy of British Energy  Trawsfynydd Location: Gwynedd, Wales Operator: British Nuclear Fuels Ltd Configuration: 2 X 235 MW gas cooled nuclear reactor Commissioned: 1965 (shut down 1991) Reactor supplier: UK Atomic Energy Authority Turbine generator supplier: Richards and Westgarth Photograph by Skyscan and courtesy of BNFL  Wylfa Location: Gwynedd, Wales Operator: British Nuclear Fuels Ltd Configuration: 2 X 495 MW gas cooled nuclear reactor Commissioning: 1971 Reactor supplier: The Nuclear Power Group Turbine generator supplier: English Electric Commentary: The Wilfa nuclear power plant was the last with a gas-cooled nuclear reactor. Photograph courtesy of Pisces Conservation Ltd | ||
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Nuclear power plants
Photos, Germany
Biblis
Power plant location: OH
Operator: RWE Power AG
Power plant configuration: 1 X 1.255 MW, 1 X 1.300 MW, pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactors
Commissioning: 1974-1976
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Photograph courtesy of RWE Power AG
Brokdorf
Cinematographer: E.ON Kernkraftwerk
Power plant configuration: 1,370 MW, pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactor
Commissioning: 1986
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Brunsbuttel
Power plant location: SH
Cinematographer: E.ON Kernkraftwerk
Power plant configuration: 806 MW, boiling water nuclear reactor
Commissioning: 1976
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Photograph courtesy of Vattenfall
Emsland (Lingen)
Operator: Kernkraftwerk Lippe-Lippe-Ems
Power plant configuration: 1,363 MW, pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactor
Commissioning: 1988
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Photograph courtesy of Siemens AG
Grafenrheinfeld
Power plant location: BY
Cinematographer: E.ON Kernkraftwerk
Power plant configuration: 1.345 MW, pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactor
Commissioning: 1981
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Grohnde
Power plant location: Ni
Cinematographer: E.ON Kernkraftwerk
Power plant configuration: 1,430 MW pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactor
Commissioning: 1984
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Photograph by Peter Hamel and courtesy of E.ON AG
Gundremmingen
Operator: KKW Gundremmingen
Power plant configuration: 2 X 1.344 MW, boiling water nuclear reactors
Commissioning: 1984
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Photograph courtesy of KKW Gundremmingen
Neckar
Operator: GKKW Neckar GmbH
Power plant configuration: 1 X 840 MW, 1 X 1.365 MW, pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactors
Commissioning: 1976-1989
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Photograph courtesy of GKKW Neckar GmbH
Obrigheim
Power plant location: Rp
Operator: KKW Obrigheim GmbH
Power plant configuration: 357 MW, pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactor
Commissioning: 1967 (stopped May 2005)
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Photograph courtesy of power
Phillipsburg
Power plant location: BW
Operator: Kernkraftwerk Philippsburg
Power plant configuration: 1 X 926 MW boiling water nuclear reactor, 1 X 1.458 MW pressurized water reactor
Commissioning: 1980-1985
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Photographer by Sebastian Stumpf
Stade
Power plant location: Ni
Cinematographer: E.ON Kernkraftwerk
Power plant configuration: 672 MW, pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactor
Commissioning: 1972 (stopped in 2003)
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Photograph courtesy of Die Bundesregierung
unterweser
Power plant location: Ni
Cinematographer: E.ON Kernkraftwerk
Power plant configuration: 1,350 MW, pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactor
Commissioning: 1978
Reactor supplier: Siemens
Turbine Generator Supplier: Siemens
Photograph by Strauss and courtesy of E.ON AG
Nuclear power plants
Photos, USA (Pennsylvania)
beaver valley
Location: PA
Operator: First Energy
Configuration: 2 X 888 MW pressurized water-cooled nuclear reactors
Commissioning: 1976-1987
Reactor manufacturer: Westinghouse
Turbo generator manufacturer: Westinghouse
Engineering: Stone & Webster
Photograph courtesy of FirstEnergy
Limerick
Location: PA
Operator: Exelon Nuclear
Configuration: 2 X 1.143 MW nuclear boiling water reactors
Commissioning: 1986-1990
Engineering: Bechtel
Photograph courtesy of Exelon Corp
Peach Bottom 2&3
Location: PA
Operator: Exelon Nuclear
Configuration: 2 X 1.182 MW nuclear boiling water reactors
Commissioning: 1974
Reactor manufacturer: General Electric
Turbo generator manufacturer: General Electric
Engineering: Bechtel
An explosion occurred at the Flamanville nuclear power plant. According to preliminary data, five people were injured. According to authorities, there is no threat of release of radioactive substances.
According to Ouest France, the explosion occurred around 10:00 local time (12:00 Moscow time) in the engine room of the power plant. According to the representative of the prefect Olivier Marmion, as a result of the incident, five people were slightly poisoned, but there were no seriously injured. Emergency services are on site.
According to the prefecture, there is no threat of leakage of radioactive substances, so the emergency regime was not introduced. As a precaution, the operation of the first power unit has been suspended. After the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, many countries began to reduce nuclear energy, and France was among them. In recent years, 20 out of 58 nuclear reactors in the country have been closed.
The Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN), the body responsible for the safety of nuclear power, says all reactors must be thoroughly inspected for their safety. In France, there are increasing doubts about the safety of such an energy source, as well as about the quality of some components of nuclear power plants, produced both in France and in Japan, which is notorious for its accidents and subsequent radioactive leaks.
Basis of electricity generation in France
The nuclear power plants of the French electricity supplier EDF generate up to 75% of the total electricity needed by France. Nuclear power plants are located in 19 locations throughout the country. As nuclear plants have been inspected and shut down lately, this has caused generation to drop to the lowest levels since 1998 – just 26.6 TW in September, according to French electricity grid operator Reseau de transport d‘electricite.And as more and more nuclear power plants close over time, EDF is forecast to cut electricity in 2017 to 390 TW-400 TW. For comparison, between 2005 and 2015 the average amount of electricity per year was 417 TW. Although it dropped to 390 TW in 2009, over the last decade the average volume has been above 400 TW. And since EDF predicts a reduction in generation, this led to an increase in prices in Q4 2016 and Q1 2017 and for 2017 by €1.70/MW, €1.65/MW and €1.20/ MW respectively. To compensate for the lack of energy, France is increasing the use of coal and other fossil fuels, as well as electricity imports.
Questionable materials and documentation
There are two problems at the heart of the nuclear crisis in France. One has to do with the carbon content of steel parts, which were produced by the French company AREVA SA, which is a global manufacturer of nuclear reactors. The second problem concerns forged, falsified and incomplete quality control reports of the components themselves.Excess levels of carbon can make components more brittle under high pressure. Initially, this problem was discovered just at the Flamanville nuclear power plant back in 2014. However, then it turned out that this problem exists in many components that were planned to be used in the construction of other projects.
Inspections were carried out, in connection with which the nuclear power plant was temporarily closed. The checks revealed other shortcomings. As a result, during the inspection it turned out that since 2015, steam generator heads with a high carbon content were produced, which could lead to reduced quality. These heads were used in 18 reactors.
The effects are felt all over the world
Energy traders and analysts are warning that France needs to brace for a lengthy repair period, given its aging nuclear infrastructure and the fact that inspections are finding more and more defects. The average reactor in France is currently over 30 years old, and equipment needs to be upgraded more frequently.And tightening security requirements will mean the fact that the supply of components will be delayed, especially after ASN introduced additional checks. Nevertheless, France, as well as Germany, even before these problems began to wonder how safe nuclear power is, especially after the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Since 2011, when the disaster in Japan occurred, some government officials have expressed the idea of the need to reduce dependence on nuclear energy to 50%. However, many conservatives still view nuclear power as a key factor in national environmental and economic policy, as France is a leader in nuclear power.
The state company EDF is building and maintaining nuclear power plants around the world. To date, the company is involved in projects in countries such as China, Finland, Belgium and the UK. It is logical to assume that since the problematic components produced by Le Creusot and JCFC were used in projects in other countries of the world, similar problems could spread outside of France.
Security in question
Despite the identified quality issues with the components, EDF continues to insist that there is no risk, as the level of security is very high. Nevertheless, questions about the quality of Le Creusot products, which have been at the center of the problem, continue to arise.With more detailed study, new problems appear, and the number of violations found in components is growing. But many components have already been installed at nuclear power plants. At the same time, the total number of violations during the period of inspections increased from 33 to 83. Only at one nuclear power plant, Flamanville, did the number of violations increase from 2 to 20 during the period of inspections.
Testing and crisis
Sean Burney, Nuclear Energy Specialist at Greenpeace Germany, says: “The nuclear industry in France is currently in a crisis caused by carbon tests, with 11 reactors delivered to Japanese companies and subsequently shut down pending a regulator investigation. ".The expert notes that such tests have not been carried out in Japan, therefore, neither the authorities nor the people living in the immediate vicinity of the reactors are aware of the danger that nuclear power plants pose. Japan, he said, could also oblige companies to conduct similar testing at nuclear power plants. First of all, we are talking about the Sendai-2 and Ikata-3 reactors, which are the only ones operating in Japan.
There are more than 400 operating nuclear power plants in the world. They are located in Japan, France, USA, South Korea, Ukraine and other countries. Which of these nuclear power plants is the most powerful and where is the largest and most powerful nuclear power plant in the world - this question is of interest to many. Let's try to answer it.
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa ranks first in the ranking of the largest power plants in the world. It is located in Japan in Niigata Prefecture. Its construction began in 1977, eight years later the station was ready.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa power plant consists of seven reactors. Its power is 8212 MW. This figure makes it the most powerful and largest nuclear power plant in the world.
In 2007, an emergency happened. Due to the earthquake, the operation of the nuclear power plant was stopped. There was radiation contamination and fire. Two years later, the reactors were launched again, but not in full. Management plans to return all reactors to work by 2019.
Fukushima
The power plant consisted of two parts called Fukushima-1 and Fukushima-2. They were not far from each other, so because of the high risks, both facilities had to be closed.
Fukushima - 1 is located on the territory of the prefecture of the same name near the city of Okuma in Japan. Its construction began in the mid-60s. The power plant was launched in 1971. After 40 years, the work of this huge enterprise was stopped. Due to a strong tsunami and earthquake, the cooling equipment of the reactors was damaged. The management declared an emergency as the radiation level was exceeded.
Fukushima-2 is located near the city of Naraha. It was commissioned in 1982. Due to the accident, Fukushima - 2 also does not work.
Until 2011, the Fukushima nuclear power plant was considered the most powerful in the world. But due to a strong earthquake, some of the reactors melted, and the power plant ceased to function.
At the moment, it is forbidden to approach the power plant closer than 10 km. This area is called the evacuation zone.
Nuclear power plant, which is located in South Korea, on the coast of the Sea of Japan. All nuclear power plants are built near large bodies of water, because the reactor needs cooling. They get it from water.
This large nuclear power plant was commissioned in 1978. Energy power is 6862 MW, it is provided by seven operating reactors.
Corey Power Station is constantly growing and renewing. At the moment, two additional facilities are under construction, which will increase the capacity of the nuclear power plant.
This power plant is located in Canada, in the Ontario region, in the city of Bruce County. Nearby is Lake Huron.
Bruce Nuclear Power Plant is considered the favorite among all nuclear power plants in North America, since its capacity is equal to 6232 MW. Eight nuclear reactors are operating normally.
The first reactor was built in 1978, the rest were constructed over the next eighteen years.
In the 1990s, the operation of two reactors was frozen due to malfunctions. Their renewal lasted for several years. At the beginning of the century, modernized reactors were launched.
Bruce Nuclear Power Plant is the second largest nuclear power plant in the world after Kashiwazaki-Kariva.
Zaporozhye NPP
This is the main operating nuclear power plant in Ukraine. It is located in a city called Energodar in the Zaporozhye region. Sometimes it is called NPP Energodar.
Zaporozhye NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, it consists of six reactors, the total capacity of which is equal to 6000 MW.
In 1984, the launch of the first unit started. After that, new reactors were opened every year, until 1987.
In 1989, a decision was made to launch the fifth power unit. Then the modernization of nuclear power plants was temporarily stopped, as a moratorium was introduced on the construction of nuclear reactors. In 1995, this law was repealed, and the sixth block of the nuclear power plant was put into operation.
Hanul Nuclear Power Plant (Ulchin)
Location: Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. The power of the nuclear power plant is 5881 MW. It is the largest nuclear power plant in South Korea.
The ceremonial launch of the nuclear power plant took place in 1988. Then it was named Ulchin, in honor of the district of the same name. But in 2013 she changed her name to Hanul.
To date, six units are successfully operating there. In 2018, the launch of two more reactors is planned, the construction of which has been going on for five long years.
Hanul is the eighth nuclear power plant in South Korea. And if you make a list of the leading countries in terms of the number of active nuclear reactors, then South Korea would undoubtedly be included in this list, taking fifth place.
Another pride of South Korea's nuclear industry is the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant. Her power is 5875 MW. Hanbit is only six units inferior to its older Korean sister, Hanul Nuclear Power Plant.
Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant is located in Yeongwan City, so it is often referred to as Yeongwan Nuclear Power Plant.
Six pressurized water reactors (PWRs) are operating normally. The reactors were launched from 1988 to 2002.
Gravelines is the largest nuclear power plant in France. Its power ratings are 5706 MW.
The nuclear power plant is located in a picturesque place, on the coast of the North Sea, not far from the village of Dunkirk. The nuclear power plant includes six power units that were built over 11 years, from 1974 to 1984.
Gravelines NPP employs 1,600,000 people every day, providing their country with energy.
France is in second place in the world in terms of the number of nuclear power plants, the palm is in the hands of the United States.
Palo Verde
This is the largest nuclear power plant in the US. It should be noted that this is the only station in the world that is located far from water bodies. If we look at the map, we will be surprised to find that Palo Verde is a nuclear power plant in the desert. It is cooled with the help of wastewater from megacities located in the neighborhood.
Palo Verde began operating in 1988. Three reactors provide total power 4174 bmt.
Nuclear power plants are located all over the world. They not only provide megacities with energy, but also carry a threat. The most powerful and largest nuclear power plant is located in Japan.
Changes in French energy policy are needed. An excessive number of nuclear power plants no longer pleases the French. François Hollande was elected President of France on May 6, 2012, including with the support of the Green Party, whose representative Cécilie Duflot received the post of Minister of Housing. François Hollande's opponent, Nicolas Sarkozy, was a strong supporter of the nuclear industry and lost the election. If the new government seriously and impartially analyzes the pros and cons of a possible reduction in the share of nuclear energy from 75% to 50%, then in the coming years, France, like its neighbors, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, will stop old and dangerous reactors, develop renewable energy and will cease to play the role of the main nuclear lobbyist in the European Union.
What exactly did Hollande promise?
The promise to shut down the old reactors is clearly and clearly stated in the election program.
Commitment #41
I will preserve the independence of France by diversifying our sources of energy.
I will initiate a reduction in the share of nuclear energy in electricity generation from 75% to 50% by 2025, ensuring maximum safety and continuing to modernize our nuclear industry. I will promote the growth of renewable energy by supporting the creation and development of this industry sector. France will fulfill its international obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, I will close the Fessenheim nuclear power plant and I will strive to complete the EPR reactor at the Flamanville nuclear power plant.
For France's neighbors Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, who have already decided to close all their nuclear power plants, this obligation looks like a half measure. But it should be understood that until now the French authorities did not consider the huge number of nuclear power plants a problem, and even tried to talk about it as an advantage. Nuclear lobbyists around the world cited France as an example to strive for.
And now a man has been elected president of France who directly declares the need to "reduce the share of atomic energy in the production of electricity." This is a serious signal for the nuclear industry, another "black mark". Although it will not be easy to fulfill Hollande's promises, it really needs to be done in the interests of the country's energy and environmental security.
Fessenheim nuclear power plant to be closed
The promise of the new French president to close the country's oldest and most dangerous operating nuclear power plant by 2017 does not look like something radical, but it can be regarded as the first step towards a new energy policy. In Germany, after the disaster at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, the government not only promised to decommission all nuclear power plants by 2022, but also achieved the shutdown of eight of the oldest reactors commissioned before 1980.
Photo: world-nuclear.org
After the closure of the two old reactors at the Fessename nuclear power plant in France, there will be four more “project one” (CP-0) reactors at the Bugey nuclear power plant, three of which were commissioned before 1980. Obviously, these reactors will be next on the list for decommissioning.
France traces an understandable European trend - to close the reactors commissioned before 1980 as obsolete and physically worn out.
Russia's Dangerous Dozen
Rosatom continues to operate twelve old and dangerous reactors built in the 1970s at the following power plants in Russia: at the Kola NPP (power units 1 and 2, VVER-440-230, 1973 and 1974), at the Novovoronezh NPP (power unit 4, VVER-440 , 1972), at the Bilibino NPP (four EGP-6 power units, 1974-76), at the Leningrad NPP (RBMK-1000, power units 1, 2, 3, 1974, 75 and 79), at the Kursk NPP (RBMK-1000, power units 1, 2, 1976 and 79). All of the listed power units are morally and physically obsolete. None of these dozen reactors has a protective containment that meets modern safety requirements. There are no plans to decommission reactors built in the 1970s in Russia.
Nuclear power plant does not want to work?
On the second day after the election of François Hollande as President of France, an unscheduled reactor shutdown occurred at the Fessenheim nuclear power plant.
Photo: Wikipedia commons
“On May 8, the second reactor of the oldest nuclear power plant in France, Fessenheim, located in the Haut-Rhin department, was shut down automatically. According to the management of the facility, the incident occurred at the time the installation was undergoing a periodic technical check. ... In March of this year, due to a technical failure at the second Fessenheim reactor, a similar incident occurred, ”Vesti.ru reports.
Although the incident is not among the serious, it is very symbolic. Old nuclear power plants not only require significant costs to maintain them in working condition, but are also very unreliable, and downtime is not only the cost of unscheduled repairs, but also lost profits from electricity generation.
The old and dangerous Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant
Two power units of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant were commissioned in 1977 and 1978. The 880 MW reactors are pressurized water reactors similar to Russian VVERs. The nuclear power plant is located in Alsace, in the Haut-Rhin department on the banks of the Alsace Canal, one and a half kilometers from the border with Germany and 40 kilometers from the border with Switzerland.
It is not surprising that the old nuclear power plant is of concern to the Germans, who demand not to postpone the closure of dangerous reactors for 5 years and to close the nuclear power plant immediately.
French Fukushima Candidate
The Fessenheim nuclear power plant is located 8 meters below the level of the Alsatian Canal, on the banks of which it is located. The dam can be damaged by a flood or a small earthquake. The Alps are nearby, a zone of high seismicity. The rupture of the dam located upstream can lead to flooding of the industrial site and failure of equipment important for the safety of the plant in the Fukushima scenario.
In the diagram, the zone of possible flooding is shown in blue. In particular, transformers and electrical equipment will be flooded, which will lead to the shutdown of power units and de-energization of reactors. An eight-meter wave of water is as dangerous for a French nuclear power plant as it is for a Japanese one ...
Not everyone admits this, for example, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited the Fessenheim nuclear power plant during the election campaign and promised not to close it. Sarkozy lost the election and the nuclear power plant is subject to decommissioning.
protests
After the disaster at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, demands have intensified to close the old and dangerous nuclear power plant. Neighboring Swiss cantons and the German Land of Baden-Wurtenberg asked to urgently stop the nuclear power plant. The municipal councils of Basel, Switzerland and Strasbourg, France, large cities located downstream the Rhine, have decided to seek the closure of the nuclear power plant. Thousands of people took part in anti-nuclear demonstrations at the Fessenheim nuclear power plant on the anniversaries of Fukushima and Chernobyl.
And so, their demand was heard, however, they are not in a hurry to stop the nuclear power plant, Francois Hollande promised to close the plant only by the end of his presidential term.
The French Association for the Abolition of Nuclear Energy (Le Réseau "Sortir du nucléaire") considered the new president's plans a step in the right direction, but not ambitious enough. According to environmentalists, Hollande's position "reflects the lack of ambition of the newly elected president, and casts doubt on his ability to resist the nuclear lobby."
“By 2017, 24 reactors will exceed 35 years of operation, IRSN warns of the danger of a sudden rupture of the reactor pressure vessel. François Hollande wants to be remembered as the president of a nuclear accident?” French opponents of nuclear energy ask a rhetorical question.
Support for old nuclear power plants costs France 3.7 billion euros a year
The economic aspect of the problem is also important. The operator of French nuclear power plants, the state-owned company Electricite de France (EdF), is forced to spend significant amounts to maintain the efficiency of old reactors.
“To fix aging reactors, EDF spends 3.7 billion euros a year, probably even more. Wouldn’t it make more sense to invest these billions in housing recovery and the renewable energy sector, creating the jobs we really need?” - asks another rhetorical question of the association "For the rejection of nuclear energy".
For example, only for work to improve the safety of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant, which still has to be closed by 2017, EdF will spend 20 million euros.
Real change takes courage
The Nuclear Free Network is looking forward to the two promises made by François Hollande: the closure of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant and the abandonment of the EPR reactor at Penley. The environmentalists will also push for a complete end to the EPR program, shutting down all reactors from the oldest one, halting MOX production, and abandoning radioactive waste dump projects. “Real change requires courage, vision and ambition,” say French environmentalists.
France is ready to make real changes, ready to start reducing its dependence on nuclear energy. According to the Hollande plan, 26 out of 58 French reactors should be withdrawn by 2025. If the promises are kept and the number of reactors in France is reduced by a third, the world will become safer, and the end of France's lobbying for the nuclear industry at the international level will create a new situation in which Russian nuclear lobbyists may find themselves alone.
Photo: francoishollande.fr