Nuclear power in France, requires massive interconnection, pumped storage, storage, load management, diesels - hey just like wind will!
dave andrews
Nuclear power in France
Nuclear power is the primary source of electric power in France. In 2004, 425.8 TWh out of the country's total production of 540.6 TWh of electricity was from nuclear power (78.8%), the highest percentage in the world.[1]
Due to the general inflexibility of nuclear energy compared to fossil energy based power plant, to achieve this high load factor, France is also forced to be the world's largest net exporter of electric power, exporting 18% of its total production via 10 GW overall of interconnection capacity [2](about 100 TWh) to Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain, and Germany to use 14.59 GW storage hydro GW 4.302 GW of pumped storage,[3] and the EJP load disconnection tarrif which is allied to the use of about 5 GW of diesel generators in private hands.[4] (It also has 6.16 GW run of river hydro irrelevant in this context of dealing with flexibility but is included for completeness)
Frances electricity price is among the lowest in Europe,[5] however this figure should be treated with caution, since the stations were essentially built using French government sovereign debt, which is typically 3.5%. European Union rules now prevent this kind of indirect subsidy.
France's nuclear power industry has been called "a success story" that has put the nation "ahead of the world" in terms of providing cheap, CO2-free energy.[6] However, even with the great flexibility offered by the interconnections, the storage and pumped storage hydro and the EJP France's nuclear reactors are forced to be used in load-following mode and some reactors close on weekends because there is no market for the electricity.[7][8] This means that the capacity factor is low by world standards, which is not an ideal economic situation for nuclear plants.[7]
As of 2002, Électricité de France (EDF) — the country's main electricity generation and distribution company — manages the country's 59 nuclear power plants.[7] In 2006, the French Government asked Areva and EDF to build a next generation nuclear reactor, the EPR (European Pressurized Reactor), at the Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant. EdF is substantially owned by the French Government, with around 85% of EdF shares in government hands .[9] 78.9% of Areva shares are owned by the French public sector company CEA and are therefore in public ownership [10] EdF remains heavily in debt. Its profitability suffered during the recession which began in 2008. It made €3.9 billion in 2009, which fell to €1.02 billion in 2010, with provisions set aside amounting to €2.9.[11] The Nuclear industry has been accused of significant cost overruns and failing to cover the total costs of operation, including waste management and decommissioning.[12] EdF said its third-generation nuclear reactor EPR project at its Flamanville, northern France, plant will be delayed until 2016, due to "both structural and economic reasons," which will bring the project's total cost to EUR6 billion.[13] Similarly, the cost of the EPR to be built at Olkiuoto, Finland has escalated. Areva and the utility involved "are in bitter dispute over who will bear the cost overruns and there is a real risk now that the utility will default.[14]
Following the 2011 Fukushima I nuclear accidents, the head of France's nuclear safety agency has said that France needs to upgrade the protection of vital functions in all its nuclear reactors to avoid a disaster in the event of a natural calamity,which will inevitably increase the cost of electricity, adding there was no need to close any plants. In November 2011, France is in the midst of a national debate over nuclear energy ahead of the 2012 presidential elections. The ruling UMP party is in favor of maintaining nuclear and the opposition Socialist party is in favor of closing the oldest 24 reactors by 2025.[15]
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