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France shows the nuclear way

von Peggy Hollinger (Paris)

Britain will study operations across the Channel closely as it embarks on replacing its fossil fuel plants. France's nuclear expertise is invaluable when it comes to developing safe, reliable energy sources, but that does not mean public opposition is non-existent.

When Anne Lauvergeon took over France's nuclear group Cogema in 1999, one of her first acts was to install cameras in the fuel and waste treatment chambers of La Hague, France's highly sensitive reprocessing site on the north coast.

In effect the woman - dubbed "Atomic Anne" - who now heads Areva, the world's biggest nuclear group, opened the doors on previously secretive activities in a bid to dispel the public suspicion that had long impeded the development of nuclear power around the world.

It is an example that Britain is likely to be studying closely as it launches itself into a new nuclear age following the go-ahead for the construction of a new fleet of reactors. It is almost certain that Britain will choose Areva's new third generation reactor - the heavy duty 1,600MW EPR (European pressurised reactor) - for some of its new fleet of plants.

Conventional fuel sources need replacements

It is France's nuclear expertise that Britain and many other European countries will be particularly keen to tap as they replace their conventional fossil fuel power plants with carbon free reactors.

France is Europe's biggest nuclear operator, obtaining almost 80 per cent of its electricity from its 58 reactors. More than any other country, France has placed its energy hopes in a technology that for decades was considered too unpopular for any government to back with conviction.

In Italy and Germany nuclear power has long been banned and governments are struggling to convince a hostile public that a U-turn is needed to meet growing demand and environmental constraints.

France's almost national consensus is what has made nuclear power both economical and efficient according to energy experts. "All the ministers and industry are on message," says Gerald Doucet, director general of the World Energy Council. "Even the unions see the interest and value for their communities and companies of nuclear power."

Public opposition

Areva credits this unity of purpose as a big advantage during those years when nuclear was out favour and starved of investment. "In France there is a global effort not to complicate things, to facilitate investment without compromising on safety," an Areva spokesman says.

That does not mean public opposition is non-existent. Surveys have shown that as much as 55 per cent of the population is critical of how nuclear waste is managed. In response France last year launched a comprehensive waste management package, opting for long-term underground storage at a site yet to be determined.

And as in any country, consultation processes are long and drawn out. The decision to build the EPR was taken in 2004, three years before the first bulldozer turned up on site.

None of this would have been possible if the government had not decided to build a large fleet of power stations, says one industry executive. "The more reactors you build the more competitive it is," he says. "That was the difference between France and the UK."