Superphenix: Restarting, with emphasis on research

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Nuclear News

OSTI ID:508481

French Prime Minister Edouard Baladour announced on February 22 that the Superphenix fast reactor at Creys-Malville will be allowed to restart. Along with his industry minister, Gerard Longuet, and the environment minister, Michel Bamier, Baladour has accepted the recommendation for reissuance of an operating license submitted to the ministers in January by the nuclear installations safety directorate (DSIN). In announcing their approval for restart, the ministers emphasized that the reactor was to be used as a research and demonstration facility rather than a power station. In particular, they said it should be used to investigate the possibility of using fast reactors as plutonium burners rather than breeders and for the incineration of other long-lived actinide wastes. This point was made also by DSIN Director Andre-Claude Lacoste in his recommendations, but appears to have been given more weight by the government ministers. The ministers also accepted the DSIN recommendation that restart be conditional on completion of improvements to fire protection systems for the secondary sodium coolant ducts. Baladour said that it would take several months to complete this work, but other sources have suggested that the reactor could be ready to operate this month. DSIN has also stipulated that the power level be limited for several months to around 50 percent of the plant`s 1200-MWe potential in order to check out all the systems carefully.

• OSTI ID: 508481
• Journal Information: Nuclear News, Journal Name: Nuclear News Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 37; ISSN NUNWA8; ISSN 0029-5574
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
REACTOR LICENSING
RESEARCH REACTORS
SUPER PHENIX REACTOR