Prsentation PowerPoint

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Lessons learnt from the French Nuclear Program
ICAPP 2007 Nice May 2007
Georges Servière Nuclear Engineering Division
EDF
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CONTEXT OF FRENCH NUCLEAR PROGRAM
50s and early 60s ? hydro-power program Late
60s ? coal fuel-oil program ? nuclear
variety of reactor types heavy water Brennilis
(1967) gas-cooled Saint Laurent 1-2, Chinon
2,3, Bugey 1 fast neutron Phénix no
standardization developed by French Atomic
Energy Commission 1969 ? PWR Franco Belgian
Plant of Tihange 1 ordered 1970 ? Beginning of
construction of Fessenheim and Bugey 1973 ?
Oil crisis / Launching of the French Nuclear
Program 58 PWR units Superphénix
(sodium cooled breeder)
34 900 MWe class reactors CP0 - CP1 -
CP2 20 1300 MWe class reactors P4 P?4 4
1450 MWe class reactors N4
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History Age of Series 01.01.07
3 different series 900 MW PWR (34 units), 1300
MW PWR (20 units), 1500 MW PWR (4 units)
25 years
19 years
9 years
Age since 1st connection
5 to 8 units/year
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The French Nuclear Program

SFR Rapide Sodium
PWR
HWGCR Eau Lourde
Gaz-Graphite UNGG
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Construction RythmsUSA-France
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6 Fold
60 of installed power
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Financing the French Program
533
500
TWh
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Nuclear made it for and was financed by both
Substitution Growth
400
416
300
200
Nuclear
Fossil fuels
100
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Hydro
0
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
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A few reasons for a success story

• A "no alternate choice" context
• No Coal, no Oil, no Gaz, no more Hydro, ....
• An existing strong nuclear industrial context
• EDF, CEA, Framatome
• Industrial shift to PWR before the oil crisis
• A continued political will
• A clear resolute energy policy
• Supported by the successive governments
• Limited opposition
• Clear benefits from
• Standardized nuclear fleet
• Concentration of competencies
• High level of control by Nuclear Safety
  Authority

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A few reasons for a success story

• To achieve such a program
• In addition to the context
• Robust proven designs
• Industrial capabilities
• Engineering, Construction Project Management
  skills within EDF Owner/Operator
• Necessity for standardisation
• We could not afford managing different types of
  units
• made possible thanks to a (almost) unique
  decision maker

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Series effects
THE SERIES EFFECT A KEY FACTOR FOR A
SUCCESSFULL NUCLEAR PROGRAM
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Creusot workshop for vessels in the 70's
Standardisation in Manufacturing
Creusot Workshop in the 70's

• Standardisation
• Benefits to
• Quality
• Schedule
• Costs

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Gravelines NPP6 identical 950MWe Units
Standardisation for Construction Commissioning
Paluel NPP 4 identical 1300MWe Units

• Standardisation
• On each site
• Between sites

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Unique Experience Interfacing Design Operation
58 nuclear power plants give EDF the equivalent
of more than 1300 reactor-years of experience
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• Standardisation is not a so simple concept
• Design
• Overall Management Procurement
• Manufacturing
• Construction Commissioning
• Operations
• Standardisation is intended to save money and/or
  improve Safety
• Standardisation has to be tuned for those goals

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INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION OF EDF FOR DEVELOPMENT OF
THE FRENCH NUCLEAR PROGRAM

• No  turn key  basis, but allotment (as for
  hydro and classic thermal program)
• EDF, Architect Engineer, masters all the process
• Plant divided into sub assemblies (about 400
  contracts) civil works, electromechanical
  systems and components, IC, Design,
• All sub assemblies offered to competition,
  except (so far)
• turbo generator ? Alstom
• primary circuit (plus some connected circuits) ?
  Framatome
• Competitive prices
• Partnership for long term with sub contractors
  as far as possible one contract for all units of
  a series or sub-series
• The direct involvement in Design and the
  allotment system is not free (cost of EDF
  Engineering) nevertheless, for a large fleet of
  reactors, this organization saves money
• The issue is who benefits from standardisation
  and who decides its extent ?

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STANDARDIZATION OF ENGINEERING AND DESIGN

• 2 examples of limitations for standardization
  over a long period for a significant number of
  sites
• different site conditions
• technological progress
• 1- Different site conditions
• geology, seismicity, human geography, industrial
  environment, heat sink, ...
• if the design is adapted to each site ? no
  standardization
• if the design bounds all sites ?
  standardization but maybe anti economical
• The solution chosen by EDF
• To define a standard that can be adapted to each
  site with a minimum of modifications,
  consistently with a careful selection of sites.
• Practically, a small number of site adaptations
• foundations
• cooling water systems
• connection to transmission lines
• etc

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STANDARDIZATION OF ENGINEERING AND DESIGN (2)

• 2 - Technological Progress
• If the design is stabilized without any changes
  over a long period
• good for standardisation
• not so good to accomodate technological progress
  or experience feedback from Design, Construction
  Commissioning, Operation
• The solution chosen by EDF
• different overlapping plant series, each limited
  in time, to allow for main design changes
• CP0 CP1 CP2 for 900 MWe plants
• P4 P?4 for 1300 MWe plants
• N4 for 1450 MWe plants
• Limited de-standardization, to allow for
  manufacturing changes

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POSSIBLE DRAWBACKS OF STANDARDIZATION

• Some other limitations to total standardization
• aggregates for concrete
• detailed chemical composition or manufacturing
  process
• ...
• The risk of standardization the generic
  defects
• Some examples vessel heads
• steam generators
• Backfitting associated with generic defects
  only a few examples
• vessel heads all vessel heads replaced
• steam generators progressive replacement of
  SG with Inconel 600 tubes
• In fact, a certain level of destandardization
  prevented EDF to replace all steam generators
• Backfitting expenses associated to generic
  defects so far less than 10 of construction
  cost savings due to standardization

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BENEFITS OF STANDARDISATION PROGRAM POLICY

• Standardisation is intended to save money and/or
  improve Safety
• and has to be tuned for those goals ...
• Most of the benefit on manufacturing is reached
  at the 5th-6th unit

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BENEFITS OF STANDARDISATION PROGRAM POLICY

• Standardisation is intended to save money and/or
  improve Safety
• and has to be tuned for those goals ...
• Most of the benefit on manufacturing is reached
  at the 4th-6th unit
• There is a real effect for site activity, from
  identical units on one site, and on sites if
  teams can take over
• ? 8-12 months between 2 units on the same site
• ? careful planning sharing between 2 sites
  (or more)
• This part of the benefit is more largely
  dependant on the program size
• Clear benefit in terms of relations with Safety
  Authority
• ? But probably implies organized/collective
  periodic safety reviews for a standardised series
  with joint backfit, when there is not a unique
  Owner/Operator
• ? Clear international harmonisation will
  certainly facilitate/enhance standardisation
  benefit

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... for the future

• EDF intends to maintain a large proportion of
  nuclear power, as it showed safe,
  reliable and competitive for base load also for
  some semi-base (load following mode)
• EDF will follow the same principles for the Fleet
  renewal, but with some adaptations
• A smoothened construction rythm, with more time
  between 1st Unit and following ones
• Still an allotment of supply with call for bids,
  but a smaller number of contracts
• A strong Project Management, reinforced due to
  the more complex procedures of all kind and a
  more international context, ...
• ..., which also has to include "public debate"
  management capabilities, because it is now not
  only part of the decision making , but also of
  the project management itself

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20 years 2500 MWe/year
5000 MWe/year
A strategy to smooth investment
30 years 1700 MWe/year
The nuclear renewal in France has to be
smoothened . but we must be ready to launch a
series by 2015
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A strategy to smooth investment and give
flexibility
A scenario for Renewal up to present level at
1700MWe/year
50 years avg.
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In summary

• After the oil crisis of 1973, France and EDF
  launched a large nuclear program, totalling now
  58 units.
• The standardization and allotment policy
  (implying strong architect engineering
  capabilities) was very efficient to master the
  construction rythm and to reduce costs.
• In the future, EDF will maintain a high
  proportion of nuclear.
• Benefiting from the experience gained over the
  past years, EDF is preparing the renewal of its
  existing fleet, and possibly to face an increase
  of demand

EPR Flamanville 3 construction will start very
soon Creation Decree issued April 2007
(COL) preliminary works underway first concrete
end of 2007.
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