SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 | No. 715 ROUSSELY REPORT: SAVING FRENCH NUCLEAR INDUSTRY WITH ROUSSELY REPORT: SAVING FRENCH NUCLEAR INDUSTRY OUTRAGEOUS MEASURES WITH OUTRAGEOUS After France's failure to win the contract for four nuclear power MEASURES 1 plants in the United Arab Emirates, President Sarkozy ordered a OLKILUOTO BLOCKADE 2 report on the French nuclear industry. The outline of the Roussely report (named after Francois Roussely, a former EDF president), HAUNTED BY HISTORY: NUCLEAR NEW BUILD IN dated June 16, was made public –in French- by the Elysée Palace BRITAIN 4 on 27 July 2010 NUCLEAR ENERGY (715.6078) Sortir du nucleaire - In the the claims made by Areva, the merchant DECREASES WORLD report, author Francois Roussely of nuclear plants. Roussely points out the STABILITY AND INCREASES recognizes the scale of the problems inadequate performance of the French INEQUALITY 7 facing the French nuclear industry: lack nuclear reactors: “whereas global of export competitiveness, falling average nuclear plant availability has MORE PLUTONIUM DESTINED domestic load factor, delays and cost significantly increased during the last 15 FOR WIPP? 7 overruns in EPR construction projects. years, nuclear plant availability in France PROLONGING NUCLEAR has seen a marked decrease in the last POWER WILL HINDER French nuclear industry: disastrous few years.” RENEWABLES 8 economic and industrial results The failure of the EPR is such, according IN BRIEF 9 The Roussely report recognizes the scale to Roussely, that “it is the credibility, and of the setbacks experienced by Areva therefore the very existence” of the and EDF at the EPR reactor construction French nuclear industry which is at stake. sites in France and Finland: “the In the face of this, Roussely uses all credibility of both the EPR model and the available means to recommend various French nuclear industry's ability to build equally outrageous “emergency new reactors has been severely eroded measures”. by the difficulties encountered at the Finnish construction site of Olkiluoto and Passing the cost onto the consumer at the site of the third tranche of the and misuse of public funding Flamanville plant.” At fault is the “complexity of the EPR” which “without Roussely recommends “a moderate but doubt hinders its construction and regular increase of electricity tariffs, consequently impacts on its cost.” opening the way towards financing the renewal of nuclear installations”. Is By stating that “the nuclear industry must nuclear power too costly? That's no become sufficiently competitive to attract problem, the consumer can pay. By private investment”, Roussely admits becoming "regular", the tariff increase is that the nuclear industry has so far unlikely to remain "moderate" for any never been competitive nor length of time... economically efficient, in contrast with 1 Roussely proposes the diversion of Chernobyl cost, in euros and in human [...] is an essential condition for some of the funding available for lives? developing the civilian nuclear industry”. renewable energy to benefit the Roussely points out that “[nuclear nuclear industry. Given the economic constraints, waste] is the most convincing argument Roussely gives little thought to the against nuclear power for 60 to 70% of The uranium used in nuclear plants is a appalling working conditions of the French people”. finite mineral resource and is non- 20,000 external workforce employed by renewable: nuclear power is a fossil 600 subcontracting firms. Last May, Yet there is no solution to the serious energy as much as oil and coal. Yet eight temporary workers were forced to problem of nuclear waste, some of Roussely suggests “taking firm political go on strike at the CEA site at which remains dangerous for hundreds action to ensure that all multilateral Carradache: they were not being paid of thousands of years. Roussely lets slip funds for renewable energy should also and had to buy their own radioactive a telling confession: “a list of realistic be available to the nuclear industry”. protection gear! Yet Roussely only specifications” is yet to be drawn up for proposes a working conditions “charter”, the nuclear waste burial site at Bure, Savings at the expense of safety i.e. a non-binding list of commitments due to become operational in 2015. So left to the goodwill of companies... Roussely admits in veiled terms that The Roussely report confirms a all the fine words uttered for years by dangerous trend: the reduction of safety Gagging a cautious French Safety the French National Radioactive and security requirements in the face of Authority Waste Management Agency ANDRA economic constraints: “Continually are not “realistic”. increasing safety requirements cannot Roussely calls for a reduction in the be the only rational way forward”. scope of the Autorité de Sûreté Thus, one shall not be surprised that Roussely calls for the optimal Nucléaire (ASN) in favor of the Roussely is panicking to such an extent realignment between safety government: “the government must that he addresses all the industry's requirements and economic constraints. define a balanced modus vivendi with players: “It is now essential that ANDRA This politically correct jargon means that the ASN, it must re-establish a determines as a matter of urgency the safety requirements are governed by sovereignty which it shouldn't relinquish detailed operational plans being set up the industry’s criteria of profitability and to an independent authority.” This is for 2015 in relation to the deep disposal profit. “Safety indeed, but only if we can clearly a way to reduce the small margin centre. To achieve this, it is proposed afford it!” of autonomy available to the official that ANDRA urgently involves EDF, organization controlling the nuclear AREVA and the CEA (French Atomic Nuclear energy is not “attractive enough industry. Energy and Alternative Energies for private investment”, so the Although very muted, criticisms from the Commission) in defining the best construction of new reactors is not a ASN remain an embarrassment for possible specifications for the deep foregone conclusion. Roussely Areva and EDF: “events with very disposal center and its completion.” recommends an increase in the lifespan limited effects [i.e. incidents and design of French nuclear power stations to 60 errors documented by the ASN] should An English translation of the published years, when they were designed to not result in undeserved suspicion of summary of the Roussely report is operate for 30! The oldest French [nuclear] technology as a whole.” available at: http://www.psr.org/nuclear- reactors have already experienced bailout/resources/roussely-report-france- incidents far more numerous than the The Roussely report confirms the fact nuclear-epr.pdf average across nuclear installations as that the government sees the ASN as a a whole. To pretend they can operate useful alibi, a tool to “reassure” the Source and contact: Sortir du for another 30 years is therefore a high- population. Does the French Safety nucleaire, 9, rue Dumenge, 69317 Lyon risk strategy, totally irresponsible. Authority only have authority in name? Cedex 04, France. Several hundred million euros would be Email: [email protected] needed to repair each reactor, which Making nuclear waste acceptable to Web: www.sortirdunucleaire.org would still be cheaper than the 5 billion the public required to (maybe) build an EPR. And how much would a major accident like Roussely admits that “public acceptance OLKILUOTO BLOCKADE Saturday August 28 was the day of the first publicly announced blockade of a nuclear site in Finland ever. More than 100 activists from Finland and other countries did several blockades on the roads to the nuclear power plant. While a bigger blockade with picnics, sit-ins and other activities closed the entry to the main access road to the NPP blockading also several times the highway passing this place, smaller action groups showed up at many points on the roads to the power station. 2 NUCLEAR MONITOR 715 (715.6079) Olkiluoto blockade - The only besides the streets. Rumors said area around Olkiluoto is owned by the police could not prevent most of the that (para-)military and special riot police atomic industry the prohibited area is actions, although they closed a huge forces were stationed at the plant and in small and public is allowed to use the area of public roads for everyone who the forests close to the power station. forests very close to the power station. was not a resident or a nuclear power There were also police on the water plant worker. Even media had no access around the peninsula on which the plant People made music, had talks with local to that region. However, activists used is located, some people reported. people, showed banners to the cars on the forests to reach the forbidden area Actually, most blockaders just saw a few the highway next to the blockade, and successfully blockaded many roads police units at the main access road discussed about nuclear power and for up to nine hours. junction to the highway and at important chances to fight against it and had junctions of smaller access roads to the picnics, coffee and cakes. Cars leaving While smaller action groups had spread plant, where they had street barricades the nuclear area were usually allowed to over the region closed for public by the to stop public from reaching this public pass the blockade as well as police for that day and did several area. ambulances or other emergency cars. In blockades with sit-ins and lock-ons, a the beginning the police forced people bigger group of more than 50 activists In Finland's countryside "everyone's to let a few trucks pass, too. But later, blockaded the access from the highway right" is ruling - private property owners when the blockade had been completely E8 to the main road to the nuclear of land can't prohibit anyone to go to the established and the smaller blockades power plant (NPP) Olkiluoto for some 9 forests, camp there, have camp fire etc.