3 Sep (NucNet): France’s Areva and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan have named their newly formed joint venture Atmea, saying it will develop, market, licence and sell a new 1,100-megawatt nuclear reactor unit called Atmea-1.
In a statement on 3 September 2007, Areva and MHI said Atmea-1 is to be a pressurised water reactor (PWR) unit. The companies said they are working to have the unit ready for a licensing application in less than three years.
Areva chief executive officer Anne Lauvergeon said Atmea, to be based in Paris, would provide the framework for the development and sale of a reactor whose size fits into every grid.
The Atmea-1 unit will have features already adopted by Areva and MHI in terms of resistance to commercial aircraft crashes, reduced spent fuel and waste, and the capacity to use mixed oxide (MOX) fuel.
In October 2006 Areva and MHI formed what they called “a powerful and ground-breaking alliance” to begin development of the new unit. In an earlier statement they said apart from third generation reactor development, the agreement covers other fields of possible cooperation such as procurement, services, fuel cycle and new types of reactors.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Areva And Mitsubishi Announce ‘Powerful’ Nuclear Alliance (News No. 225, 19 October 2006)
New Unit’s Conceptual Design On Schedule, Say Areva And Mitsubishi (World Nuclear Review No. 15, 13 April 2007)
Areva And Mitsubishi Take Next Step Towards Reactor Joint Venture (News No. 164, 10 July 2007)
