European Pressurized Reactor
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The European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) is a third generation fission reactor design, based on the pressurized water reactor or PWR. It has been designed and developed mainly by Framatome (Areva NP) and Electricité de France in France and Siemens AG in Germany. The main design objectives of the EPR design are increased safety while providing better electrical performance. The reactor can use 5% enriched uranium oxide or mixed uranium plutonium oxide fuel.
The EPR design has several active and passive protection measures against accidents:
- Four independent emergency cooling systems, each capable of cooling down the reactor after shutdown.
- Leaktight container around the reactor.
- An extra container and cooling area if a molten core manages to escape the reactor (see containment building).
- Two-layer concrete wall with total thickness 2.6 meters, designed to withstand collision with airplanes.
Subject to the result of Public Enquiry in 2006 and issue of a construction permit in 2007, a demonstration EPR reactor will be built in France in Flamanville in the Manche département, to be operational in 2012 [link] [link].
There is a bidding in process to build four new EPR reactors to China [link], and an intent to market EPRs in the U.S. with Constellation Energy [link].
See also
External links
- [Areva]
- [Dossier by the e-journal Internationalist Review about the future EPR site in Cherbourg, France]
- [Official EPR webpage]
- [International Call against EPR] Although the EPR is totally different from the RBMK (or the Candu).
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