Nuclear Energy in Germany and France

1
Nuclear Energy in Germany and France

• Jesse Atkinson
• Richard Whittaker
• Scott Hortenstine
• Hunter Summerford

2
History

• The end of war,
• The beginning of a nuclear Europe

3
France Nuclear Independence

• 1945 General DeGaulle establishes le Commissariat
  à l'Energie Atomique (CEA) or French Atomic
  Energy Agency.
• 1953 Uranium exploration begins in Gabon
• 1956 Uranium mining begins in Gabon under COMUF,
  a mining firm majority owned by the French firm
  COGEMA
• - Uranium exploration begins in Niger
• - CEA and Électricité de France (EDF) commission
  first French commercial reactor.
• 1958 France begins construction on its first
  nuclear device.
• 1960 France detonates its first nuclear device.
  President DeGaulle formalises the idea of Force
  de Frappe nuclear deterrence.

4
France and Atomic Electricity

• 1964 EDF 1, Frances first commercial reactor,
  goes on-line at Chinon in the Loire Valley.
• 1970 Commercial uranium mining begins in Niger
  under SOMAIR and COMINAK also owned by COGEMA.
• 1973 Arab oil embargo causes energy prices to
  skyrocket in the first oil crisis.
• 1974 Government of President Valerie Giscard
  dEstaing opts for a nuclear-heavy future, rather
  than risking the volatile oil markets.

5
Germany in Division and Defeat

• 1945 Under rules of Allied occupation, Germany is
  barred from development of military or industrial
  development of nuclear energy.
• 1946 Uranium mining begins in East Germany,
  mainly for Russia.
• 1955 Germany becomes a nation state - founds the
  Bundesministerium für Atomfragen (BfA)
• 1956 Germany starts to open nuclear research
  facilities.
• 1958 Germany orders its first nuclear test
  reactor, Versuchsatomkraftwerk Kahl (VAK).
• 1959 Germany passes the Atomic Energy Act, and
  founds Federal Office for Radiation Protection
  (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz BfS.) This
  develops licence policy, which is enforced by the
  states.
• 1960 VAK reaches criticality.

6
Germany The Path Away

• 1986 Chernobyl disaster breaks the political
  consensus on nuclear power.
• - Das Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz
  und Reaktorsicherheit, which absorbs the BfS, and
  places a greater emphasis on the ecological
  impact.
• 1989 Last new reactor, Neckarwestheim-2, goes
  on-line
• 1990 Re-unification. Germany begins to
  decommission old East German commercial and
  experimental reactors, mainly due to their low
  safety standards
• - Last German uranium mine closes.

7
Comparison

• Germany
• Nuclear program solely for energy.
• Licensing system and multiple operators
• Nuclear as part of an energy mix.
• Dependence on imported Uranium.
• A fleet of reactors with a poor safety record.

• France
• A nuclear program designed for military and
  energy uses.
• One energy policy, one energy provider
• Energy independence.
• Ready access to uranium through its colonies.
• A fleet of reactors with a strong safety record.

8
Nuclear Power in Germany

• 1990 to Present

• Current Capacity
• Political Climate
• Economics
• Social Status

9
Capacity

• Currently Operate 17 Plants
• Total of 154 TWh generated last year
• 29.6 of German electric consumption
• Most recent went commercial in April 1989
• 19 plants have been decommissioned
• Last decommissioning was in August 1994

10
Location of German Plants
11
Political Climate

• Current policy of gradual phase out
• After Chernobyl in 1986, Social Democrats changed
  to opposition of nuclear power
• Took power with Green Party in 1998
• Amendment to Atomic Energy Act in April 2002
• Existing plants will operate for remainder of
  their useful lives, 32 years from going online
• No new nuclear plants may be built
• Target of creating single disposal site by 2030
• Impact of dependence on Russia
• Ukraine natural gas incident

12
Economics

• April 1998 electricity reorganization act came
  into effect
• Markets were deregulated immedetiately
• Industry has restructured into generation,
  transportation and distribution segments
• Foreign players from US and Europe have entered
• Cost of replacement 30 of electricity
• Cannot replace with coal due to emissions
• Renewables are growing, but a long way away
• Already imports 63 of energy

13
Emissions

• Current CO2 levels rising again
• Dropped because of East German shut downs
• Slow economic growth restricted CO2 emissions as
  well, but this is reversing recently

14
Social Climate

• Nuclear facilities are usually very important
  employers
• After 1998, 77 of Germans favored continued use
  of nuclear power
• Carbon emissions are very important in the public
  view

15
French Nuclear

• Current State of Program and Policy

16

• 73 Energy Mix

17

• 03 Energy Mix

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Current Capacity

• 59 Nuclear Reactors
• Total Capacity of 63 GWe
• Supplies 426 billion kWh per year
• 78 of Electricity Generation
• Energy Independence Ratio of 50
• Nuclear Self-sufficiency
• Worlds Largest Net Exporter of Electricity

19
Nuclear Plants in France
20
Legal Framework

• Law of 13 July 2005
• Security of Supply
• Maintenance of the Nuclear Option
• Environmentally Benign
• Cutting CO2 Emissions 75 by 2050
• Treaty Member of Kyoto Protocol
• Return to 1990 Level 102 Million Mt
• Currently about 108 Million Mt

21

• Supply Vulnerability

22

• European Carbon Emissions

23

• CO2 Emissions

24
Social Climate

• No oil, no gas, no coal, no choice
• 2/3 In Favor of Nuclear
• 67 Environmental Protection Paramount Goal of
  Energy Policy

25
Tale of Two Policies

• Germany Phase Out
• Nuclear energy will not be a component of the
  energy generation mix
• France Max out
• Nuclear energy will be a growing component of the
  energy generation mix

26
Recommendations for France

• Continue to
• Increase the nuclear component of the energy
  generation mix
• Increase the renewable energy component of the
  energy generation mix
• Consider increasing natural gas use
• Build more advanced nuclear reactors
• Research develop nuclear technology
• Export electricity

27
Recommendations for Germany

• Reconsider a 100 Phase Out
• Political Compromise
• Shifting Public Opinion
• Extend Timeline
• Reanalyze environmental impact ofnuclear energy
• Make a Deal with France
• Transfer risks
• Lessen political pain of draw down process
• Reduce burden on coal natural gas
• Help satisfy Kyoto Protocol requirements
• Take pressure off renewable energy sources

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Location of Nuclear Power Plants in France
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Recommendations for Germany

• Reconsider a 100 Phase Out
• Political Compromise
• Shifting Public Opinion
• Extend Timeline
• Reanalyze environmental impact of nuclear energy
• Make a Deal with France
• Transfer risks
• Lessen political pain of phase out process
• Reduce burden on coal natural gas
• Help satisfy Kyoto Protocol requirements
• Take pressure off renewable energy sources

30
Questions?