Nuclear energy is at the heart of all debates, in the recent RTE report or in the speeches of all future presidential candidates.

Indeed, the atom is at the heart of all exchanges, because it is decisive for our energy future. France is an exception in this field. The French nuclear program, started in the 70s, is reaching the end of a cycle.

Today, we are at a crossroads. Should we extend the current power plants or develop new models?

There are also a number of reflections on “alternative” energies to nuclear power. Obviously renewable energies, but not only that. New technologies are emerging and offering new perspectives.

In France, today, this debate is raging, and for good reason, we have more than 58 reactors in working order. Faced with climate issues and global warming, it is becoming urgent to resolve these questions and to set the French industrial fabric in motion.

Nuclear power as a keystone of the energy transition

One of the most important nuclear farms in the world

The situation is particular for France in this area. In other words, it is one of the countries with one of the most important powers.

It's about 2nd country in the world in terms of installed capacity in front of China and behind the United States. The United States, for example, has numerous working reactors (nearly 99). However, the vast majority of these installations are over 40 years old. In this case, we can say that it is therefore a network of nuclear power plants on the decline.

France, for its part, has a fleet of middle-aged power plants. The Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) makes sure to closely monitor all the developments and maintenance operations of these power plants.

Clean energy with multiple benefits

Beyond its massive presence in the French energy mix, other aspects must also be mentioned. We can recall, for example, that the production of electricity from a nuclear power plant does not emit CO2. This is a very important advantage over its competitors at a time of ecological transition.

As this graph illustrates, nuclear energy represents the main source of production in France. In addition, it should be remembered that this is the day of November 3, 2021. However, over a year, nuclear power accounts for the overwhelming majority of this production.

At the time of the energy transition, nuclear power therefore seems to be the ideal transition energy for France. First of all, in terms of its abundance, how can we imagine doing without nuclear power in the short term? The choices made by Germany, in this respect, are painful and may simply increase electricity production by burning gas.

Thanks to its abundance and its absence of CO2 emissions during production, nuclear energy seems to have a place in The future energy mix decarbonized.

One of the other advantages generally mentioned is its availability, which is almost constant (when the power plant is in working condition). This last argument should be taken with caution as we shall see.

The difficulties associated with nuclear production

The availability rate of power plants

Obviously, presented in this way, nuclear power seems to have no equivalent. It is a technology that has proven itself in terms of reliability and continuity of service.

However, a power plant is only useful if it is in working condition. But it turns out that it is common to shut down a power plant for maintenance. The older the power plants get, the more frequent it is to organize these operations. It is therefore quite likely to see an increase in operational failures.

• Approximately every 12 to 18 months, each power plant is shut down for about one month per year to recharge its fuel (uranium);
• Every 10 years, a ten-year review is carried out on the nuclear reactor, as well as on important elements such as the tank, the steam generators or the containment chamber;
• A fortuitous stop following a failure or any technical problem;
• Environmental constraints: during periods of heatwave, some power plants are forced to stop in order not to raise the already high temperature of the rivers.

The availability rate of power plants is therefore an important issue. RTE announced that in 2020, the average unavailability of Nuclear park reached an average of 22.3 GW against 17.8 GW in 2019. The health crisis linked to Covid-19 has had a significant effect, as the maintenance operations initially planned had to be postponed.

Nuclear energy can therefore be a reliable and clean means of production, provided it is available.

The big fairing

In order to continue with the probable reasons for the unavailability of power plants, it is essential to mention The big fairing. This is a large-scale project aimed at maintaining the nuclear fleet in operational conditions.

Undertaken since 2014, this project should make it possible to replace important parts and to produce security improvement operations. Finally, this project must ensure the sustainability of structures beyond their 40 years.

Source: EDF

We can therefore question the real availability of this means of production. But it is certain that the operations are planned so as not to disrupt electricity production too significantly.

What are the innovations to the rescue of nuclear power in France and around the world?

Small Modular Reactors (SMR)

You may have missed Emmanuel Macron's recent announcement in recent weeks. However, it is of particular importance. Indeed, this announcement made as part of the France 2020 plan shows the great interest that our government has in nuclear energy.

One of the major difficulties encountered by the nuclear sector lies in its construction. Indeed, costs can increase and quickly get out of control. Several construction sites are currently in this situation (Flamanville in France, or Olkiluoto in Finland). Les SMR have the advantage of being small and therefore take much less time to build.

Their costs are also advantageous, because these reactors can be standardized and thus reduce costs.

These small power plants can go down up to 10 MW of installed capacity (in comparison, current power plants vary between 900 and 1,400 MW). It is easy to imagine that this new model could supply the electricity needs of a small or medium-sized city.

All the risks that are inherent in a nuclear power plant are thus reduced by the size of this installation. The fact of being able to produce electricity thanks to the atom makes it possible to then produce hydrogen.

Nuclear fusion

Today, the technology used in power plants is Nuclear fission. This consists of sending a neutron at full speed against an unstable atom. By making it explode, it produces energy. It is a chain reaction that follows.

Nuclear fusion is a different process. It involves bringing two hydrogen atoms (deuterium and tritium) together at extremely high temperatures. When these light nuclei fuse, the new nucleus becomes completely unstable. It then ejects helium atoms and a neutron, and at the same time a lot of energy.

It is the same reaction that is observed on the surface of the Sun or in stars. The quantity of energy produced is considerable. This technology is the designated successor to nuclear energy.

Developments in this field are very slow and are progressing gradually, but before it can be exploited...

It is therefore in reality unlikely to see this energy source disappear in the years to come. It is indeed essential to keep a production method that is controllable and does not emit CO2.

The recent RTE report (Energy Futures 2050) confirms these hypotheses by giving prominence to nuclear energy. Nor should we avoid the risks inherent in this energy, which are often mentioned by its detractors (waste management, risk of pollution, etc.).

This energy will find its place in the energy transition, by finding answers to societal criticisms addressed to it.

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