Nuclear activities in France

    France started nuclear production in 1956 building the first nuclear reactor “Uranium Naturel Graphite Gaz” (or “UNGG”) in Marcoule.

    It was the beginning of the electronuclear program launched by “Electricité de France” the national provider of electricity in order to ensure a large electricity production.

    After the success of the first UNGG reactor, six reactors were built making electricity production of a unity grown from 70MW (Mega Watt) to 540MW.

    This electronuclear program leaded France as the second world producer of nuclear electricity, even if some major crisis likes the Tchernobyl explosion in 1986 has slowed down the development.

    In fact, France government and E.D.F. had to think about the next generation of nuclear reactor in order to reduce the risk of major crisis, and ensure a bigger electricity production.

    Considering this, France and UE launched the EPR (European Pressured Reactor) between 1990 and 2000.

    The difficulty of this project leaded to important delays (first French reactor should work in 2018 instead of 2012 initially), and the cost is actually of 10.5 billion euros…