EPR, mini-reactors ... Where is EDF's nuclear strategy at?

Ugo Pascolo 4:24 p.m., October 18, 2021, modified at 4:26 p.m., October 18, 2021

INTERVIEW

He continues to believe in nuclear power, which he sees as a "shield" against rising electricity prices.

A week after Emmanuel Macron's announcements of his "France 2030" plan, Xavier Ursat, executive director in charge of the engineering and new nuclear projects department, said he was confident about the future of the sector.

He was the guest of La France bouge on Monday.

>> Find all the shows of La France bouge on Europe 1 as well as in replay and podcast here

SMRs to target the international market

At the center of EDF and France's nuclear strategy is SMR. (Small Modular Reactor). As revealed by Europe 1, these small new-generation modular reactors will supplement conventional power plants. And it's a real small revolution, according to Xavier Ursat. "Until now, the tendency was to make large reactors of high power" to avoid increasing too much the costs of a security which is always higher. But with SMR, it's the other way around. "Make smaller reactors so as to find savings, not on the size of the latter, but on the fact of having a factory capable of manufacturing them in numerous copies".

With these new reactors, EDF is targeting the national market, but also (and above all) the international market.

"We are aiming for a reactor size that matches the size of most coal or fuel oil plants that exist all over the world and that will probably have to be replaced in the decade 2030/2040."

And as Xavier Ursat imagines that SMRs will be able to connect directly to the same network, he believes that "we can go fast enough to decarbonize a country with SMR".

And if the United States, China and Russia already have a definite lead in this area, the director assures us that EDF has accelerated a lot and made the choice to "design SMR with innovations, but based on the return of 'experience' already acquired.

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Soon 6 new EPRs in France?

For now, EDF's SMR reactors only exist on paper.

And by the time of the first site, wanted for 2030, Xavier Ursat is banking on… EPRs.

EDF is also waiting for a response from the government to build six others in the territory.

"The full dossier has been turned over to the state and the president has said he will speak on it soon."

A "serene" expectation, assures Xavier Ursat who emphasizes that, according to him, "keeping nuclear power alongside the development of renewable energies is a common sense solution".

"We need electricity that emits little or no CO2, and to be energy independent."

One thing that the nuclear-renewable couple brings supports Xavier Ursat.