Fast Breeder Reactors in France - Princeton University.pdfVIP

Science and Global Security, 17:36–53, 2009 Copyright C Taylor Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0892-9882 print / 1547-7800 online DOI: 10.1080/08929880902953013 Fast Breeder Reactors in France Mycle Schneider International Consultant on Energy and Nuclear Policy, Paris, France France is the only country in the world ever to operate a commercial scale (1,200 MWe) ´ sodium cooled, plutonium fuelled fast breeder reactor, the Superphenix at Creys- Malville. However, the French fast breeder reactor program turned out to be too costly and could never compete with light water reactor technology. Numerous technical prob- lems, low uranium prices and massive opposition exacerbated the poor economic and ´ operational performance of the fast breeder reactor. Superphenix only operated about half of the time that it was officially connected to the grid and was shut down in 1998 with a lifetime load factor of less than 7%. ´ ´ The Superphenix predecessor, Phenix at Marcoule, which began operating in 1973 and will be shut down later in 2009, has experienced numerous sodium leaks and fires and a series of potentially serious reactivity incidents. The lifetime load factor of ap- proximately 45% is one of the lowest in the world. France’s program to produce and separate plutonium started right after the Second World War. While the initial purpose was to obtain plutonium for the nuclear weapons program, very early on, the fast breeder reactor became a second strategic goal. European cooperation was another goal and the EURO- CHEMIC consortium was created in 1957 with the participation of 10 countries of which France and Germany held the largest shares with 17% each.1 The first reprocessing plant, the “plutonium factory” (usine de plutonium) U