5 May (NucNet): Electricite de France (EDF) has given the go-ahead for construction of a European pressurised water reactor (EPR) unit at Flamanville, saying it will apply for a construction licence during the coming days and expects to complete the unit by 2012.
EDF said on 4 May 2006 that its board of directors had voted to approve the Flamanville-3 project, which the company sees as an “essential step” in renewing its nuclear generation mix. EDF said in August 2005 that it plans to replace its existing nuclear park with EPRs.
The cost of the 1,600-megawatt (MW) unit is estimated at 3.3 billion euros (EUR) (4.1 billion US dollars) in 2005 terms, which gives an estimated generation cost of EUR 46 per megawatt-hour. This represents a slight increase over initial estimates, due to inflation and increases in the cost of construction materials such as steel.
EDF’s chairman and chief executive officer Pierre Gadonneix said the EPR is “a major challenge” for EDF and part of the company’s programme to boost production capacity.
There are two 1,330 MW pressurised water reactors already operating at the Flamanville site, in Normandy on the country’s north-west coast.
The launch of the process leading to EPR construction in France was approved by the EDF board in 2004. The national nuclear regulator gave design approval for the unit later the same year and EDF then announced that Flamanville would host the first unit.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Flamanville Is Named Host Of France’s Demonstration EPR Project (News No. 195, 21 October 2004)
EDF Plans To Replace Existing Nuclear Park With EPRs (News No. 125, 3 August 2005)
