By Kennedy Maize
The U.K. has committed £14.2 billion (about $19.2 billion) for Electricite de France (EDF) to build two new 1,600-MW troubled, French-designed “European Pressurized Reactors,” denominated Sizewell C.
The new units will be located at the coastal site of Sizewell A, a decommissioned Magnox reactor, and Sizewell B, a 1995 vintage 1,300-MW pressurized water reactor, the UK’s newest reactor. EDF operates Sizewell B.
Ed Miliband, the Labour Government’s energy minister, said, “We will not accept the status quo of failing to invest in the future and energy insecurity for our country.
“We need new nuclear to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance, because that is the only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis.” Miliband was the Labour Government’s energy chief in 2009 and was responsible for selecting nine potential sites for a new nuclear station.
Britain in January 2024 announced plans to quadruple nuclear generation to 24 GW and achieve zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
Nuclear Newswire reported that Sizewell C “would be a near-copy of the two-unit Hinkley Point C station….” That’s troubling. Hinkley Point C, twin 1,300-MW EPR reactors under construction by EDF since early 2017, has experienced multiple delays and problems. Originally planned for completion by 2005, the current estimate is operation by 2031, at a final cost of up to £46 billion ($59 billion).
EPR projects have experienced considerable problems, including in France itself. Finland’s Okililuoto 3 began construction in 2005 at an estimated cost of €3 billion. The plant went into service in 2023 at a final cost of over €12 billion. In France, construction of Flamanville-3 began in 2007 and may enter commercial service this year at a final cost of €13.2 billion.
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Across the English Channel, EDF has found evidence of new stress corrosion cracks at unit 2 of the 2 x 1,500-MW Civaux nuclear power plant in central France. That’s just three years after the state-owned utility fixed pipe cracks at the same pressurized water reactor, a precursor to the current EPR reactors.
Civaux is France’s newest nuclear station, which went into service in January 2002. Construction began in 1988.
France’s La Tribune was first to report the problem at the reactor on June 10, noting that “the phenomenon has been observed on pipes that have already been repaired.” The unit has been shut down for refueling and inspections since April. The financial newspaper quoted an anonymous source that the corrosion evidence was found “on pipes that have already been repaired” and that “the question of a prolonged technical shutdown arises.”
Bloomberg later confirmed the report with France’s nuclear safety authority ASNR. Bloomberg added, “EDF declined to comment on Civaux 2 or the timing of stoppages.”
Reuters reported, “European power contracts jumped on Wednesday (June 11) on concerns France might have to reduce its nuclear output after the industry regulator said it had identified ‘hints’ of possible stress corrosion in a reactor.”
The possible corrosion cracking is a reprise of events of three years ago, when EDF identified corrosion cracking in four of its newer of 56 units and others were closed for scheduled maintenance at the beginning of the summer. Recalling those events in reporting on Chivaux-2’s possible problems, Bloomberg commented, “The French power giant had to halt part of its atomic plants, which are the backbone of Western Europe’s electricity market, to fix cracked pipes in 2022 and 2023, sending energy prices soaring as the repairs coincided with dwindling Russian gas supplies to the continent.”
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Will Germany become a once-and-future nuclear power proponent? Germany’s new government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Reuters reported last month, “has signalled to France it will no longer object to treating nuclear power on a par with renewable energy in EU legislation, French officials said, confirming a published report.”
While Germany was once a leader in civilian nuclear power, that changed under the long-time leadership of Angela Merkel, who served as chancellor from Nov. 2005 to Dec. 2021. In 2011, she announced that Germany would exist nuclear power. She argued for a retreat from nuclear and an embrace of renewables, particularly wind and solar, her Energiewende (energy transition) policy.
The nation’s last nuke, the 1,300-MW Emsland pressurized water reactor developed by Siemens in northwestern Germany, closed in April, 2023.
When her successor Olaf Scholz and the CDU party coalition failed, a snap election and long-time CDU backbencher Merz became the party leader. The CDU won the most seats and he took office as chancellor in May.
Merz called nixing nuclear a mistake and quickly moved to reset Germany’s ties to France. Reuters commented, “Germany’s new stance left Austria as the only major holdout left in Europe, and would put pressure on the European Commission to allow more funding for nuclear energy.”
The question now: Will Merz unwind Energiewenda?
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