Is it a myth that France has a successful nuclear industry?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the perception of France's nuclear industry, questioning whether it is a "myth" that the country has a successful nuclear power sector. Participants explore various aspects, including financial challenges, energy statistics, and waste management issues, while referencing external articles and reports.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants cite an article claiming that France's nuclear power contributes only 16% of its final energy, suggesting a disparity between perception and reality.
  • Others challenge the credibility of the article and its author, arguing that it misrepresents facts and lacks coherent points.
  • Concerns are raised about the financial and schedule troubles of nuclear plant construction, with some attributing these issues to regulatory challenges rather than inherent flaws in the nuclear industry.
  • Participants discuss the complexities of nuclear waste management, with references to both France's and the US's approaches, including the reprocessing of waste into MOX fuel.
  • Some express skepticism about the accuracy of energy statistics, noting the importance of context when interpreting percentages related to energy consumption and production.
  • There is mention of cost overruns in nuclear projects, with comparisons made to other large infrastructure projects to contextualize the financial implications.
  • Questions are raised about the political dimensions surrounding nuclear waste storage and the influence of public perception on policy decisions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants exhibit disagreement regarding the credibility of sources and the interpretation of data related to France's nuclear industry. There is no consensus on whether the claims made about the industry's success or failure are valid.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the potential for misinterpretation of energy statistics and the importance of understanding the definitions used in reports. There are unresolved questions about the accuracy of specific claims regarding cost overruns and the effectiveness of nuclear waste management strategies.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying energy policy, nuclear engineering, or the socio-political implications of energy production and waste management.

  • #31


mgb_phys said:
France also has a much smaller waste volume than the US because it reprocesses waste as MOX fuel, the US for various reasons doesn't allow reprocessing.
mgb_phys,

EXACTLY! One gets a LARGE reduction in the volume of the waste since spent nuclear fuel
is basically 96% U-238 that is no more radioactive than the day it was dug out of the ground.

The radioactive species are the fission products [ Strontium-90, Cesium-137 ] and the
capture products [ Plutonium-239, Plutonium-240, and other actinides ]. However, the fission products
and capture products constitute only a few percent of the spent fuel.

The reason the US doesn't reprocess is due to successful efforts by the anti-nukes with backing by
the Congress and various Administrations to oppose reprocessing. The whole strategy of the anti-nukes
is to DISALLOW reprocessing so that waste volume is maximized. The only allowed disposition for
spent fuel is geologic burial - and then the anti-nukes oppose the disposal site at Yucca Mountain.

The whole idea is to "constipate" the nuclear fuel cycle. The anti-nukes hope that if spent fuel can not
be reprocessed or disposed of - in fact can not even be transported from the reactor site - then sooner
or later the reactor operator will have no place to put additional waste and will not be able to discharge
and refuel the reactor. The reactor would have to shutdown - which is the goal of the anti-nukes.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist
 

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