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| Fig. 1: A computer-manipulated image of Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant, Finland. (Source: Wikimedia Commons) |
The EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) is a Generation III advanced Pressurized Water Reactor, designed to be safer, more reliant and fuel efficient than previous models. It was designed and developed by Areva and is based on previous design models and experiences from the French N4 and German KONOVI nuclear powerplants. It was designed and built with a particular focus on improving the safety performances, accident prevention, and efficiency of these nuclear power plats. [1]
To date, there are four EPRs under construction, one in Flamanville, France, another in Olkiluoto, Finland, and the remaining two in Taishan China. [2] There are also two EPR reactors set to be built at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, in Somerset England following the successful design of the Taishan EPR. The decision for an EPR to be built in Finland was concluded in December 2003, with an aim to witness commercial operation in 2009. [3] In addition to this, a year later in 2004, the French Government announced the construction of an EPR unit in France. China began construction on the first unit of their EPR reactor in Taishan in 2009, followed by the construction of their second unit in 2010, marking the third and fourth EPR reactors to start construction globally. [3] Despite the noticeably later construction date, after passing extensive safety tests, Taishan Nuclear Power Plant went online in December 2018, marking the first EPR in the world to begin power generation. [4] An important question to ask ourselves here is how was this project the last to start and the first to finish?
The EPR reactor in Olkilutoto, Finland began construction in 2005 with an initial aim to be in commission by 2011 (See Fig.1). Throughout this construction, it experienced delays and both economical and time related setbacks stemming from defects in the inner metallic steel lining the reactors concrete shell which act as a safety feature of the EPR, shielding the reactor, control room, and fuel storage, and making the EPR resistant to high impacts. The delay in completion has led to the project being over eleven years behind schedule and 5.2 billion euros over budget (as of 2016), resulting in various law suits and a contractor handover from Areva to EDF (lectricit de France), causing further delays and regulatory checks. [5]
The production of the EPR in Flamanville, France is set to be eight years behind schedule and a painful 7.2 billion euros over budget (as of 2016). It experienced similar problems with implementing the protective concrete layer and sourcing the high quantities of steel for the lined layer, with very serious regulatory problems and anomalies extracted from the steel during a safety test of the reactor vessel. [5]
One of the successes of this project lay in the ability of the nuclear building program to create abundant skilled labor; China has been building many nuclear reactors over the past 20 years, whilst Finland and France have not experienced this same advantage. [5] By starting construction years after its two counterparts, China was able to examine the challenges, failures, and setbacks reached by the plants in Finland and France, and as a result were able to overcome these barriers from associated design malfunctions from the start. Another big success in the project stemmed from the cooperation between China and France throughout this project. Taishan EPR unit 1 has succeeded through a cumulation of over 35 years of cooperation between China and Frances nuclear energy sector, whose cooperation previously worked to produce Chinas first fully operational nuclear energy plant opened in 1993: the Daya Bay nuclear power plant. [3]
As a result of these successes and once the second unit is fully operational, the Chinese power gird will be able to supply up to 24 TWh of non-carbon emitting electricity annually, hopefully saving an estimated 21 million tons of carbon dioxide emitted each year. [3] This will not only help meet the growing energy demand, the environment and Chinas economy, however the successes of this will provide hope and optimism for both the France and Finland EPR projects, and will work to provide a useful guide and construction plan for future EPR plants such as the Hinkley Point project in England.
© Olivia Lancaster. The author warrants that the work is the author's own and that Stanford University provided no input other than typesetting and referencing guidelines. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.
[1] Y. Wang, J. E. Ma and Y. T. Fang, "Generation III Pressurized Water Reactors and China's Nuclear Power," J. Zhejiang Univ.-Sc. A 17, 911 (2016).
[2] J. Ruffio, "European Pressurized Reactor (EPR)," Physics 240, Stanford University, Winter 2017.
[3] S. Thomas, "The EPR in Crisis," University of Greenwich, November 2010.
[4] K. Elmer and A. Shen, "Delayed But Still a World First: New Breed of Nuclear Reactor Powers Up in Southern China," South China Morning Post, 15 Dec 18.
[5] T. Burgis, K. Stacey and M. Stothard, "EDF's Nuclear Troubles Rooted in Caution," Financial Times, 20 Mar 16.
