Countries question Areva's reactor design
By Peggy Hollinger in Paris
Nuclear safety authorities in three countries have raised questions
over the design of control and command systems in Areva's new
> generation EPR reactor, the latest in a series of blows to hit the
> flagship of France's international nuclear ambitions.
>
> Authorities in France, Finland and the UK have asked for changes to
> ensure greater independence of the reactor's safety systems from
> control operations. "The EPR design, as originally proposed by the
> licensees and the manufacturer, Areva, doesn't comply with the
> independence principle, as there is a very high degree of complex
> interconnectivity between the control and safety systems," they said
> in a statement.
>
> Areva said on Monday that it was in talks with safety authorities
> about
> improvements to the design, but insisted that the request in no way
> implied the systems themselves were not safe. Both Areva and EDF, the
> French nuclear operator that is building its first EPR in northern
> France, said they would deliver suggested improvements by the end of
> the
> year.
>
> The request comes as the world's first EPR, being built in Finland,
> continues to suffer severe delays amid wrangling between Areva and its
> client TVO. The project has also been hit by questions from the
> Finnish
> safety authority over construction procedures. French safety
> authorities
> have also halted work on the construction of the EPR at Flamanville
> due
> to safety procedure concerns.
>
> Areva also welcomed the joint statement from safety authorities as a
> positive step towards developing common international standards on
> reactor design, though it would still have to come up with slightly
> different solutions for each regulator it said.
>
> Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.
Nuclear safety authorities in three countries have raised questions
over the design of control and command systems in Areva's new
> generation EPR reactor, the latest in a series of blows to hit the
> flagship of France's international nuclear ambitions.
>
> Authorities in France, Finland and the UK have asked for changes to
> ensure greater independence of the reactor's safety systems from
> control operations. "The EPR design, as originally proposed by the
> licensees and the manufacturer, Areva, doesn't comply with the
> independence principle, as there is a very high degree of complex
> interconnectivity between the control and safety systems," they said
> in a statement.
>
> Areva said on Monday that it was in talks with safety authorities
> about
> improvements to the design, but insisted that the request in no way
> implied the systems themselves were not safe. Both Areva and EDF, the
> French nuclear operator that is building its first EPR in northern
> France, said they would deliver suggested improvements by the end of
> the
> year.
>
> The request comes as the world's first EPR, being built in Finland,
> continues to suffer severe delays amid wrangling between Areva and its
> client TVO. The project has also been hit by questions from the
> Finnish
> safety authority over construction procedures. French safety
> authorities
> have also halted work on the construction of the EPR at Flamanville
> due
> to safety procedure concerns.
>
> Areva also welcomed the joint statement from safety authorities as a
> positive step towards developing common international standards on
> reactor design, though it would still have to come up with slightly
> different solutions for each regulator it said.
>
> Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009.