Paris- Palais des Congrès

March 4th , 2013

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FAST REACTORS AND

RELATED FUEL CYCLES

FRENCH STRATEGY AND PROGRAMS

Bernard BIGOT - CEO

CEA -Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission

FROM RESEARCH TO INDUSTRY

Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013

A VERY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF THE WORLD ENERGY NEEDS IN THE NEAR-FUTURE

Significant increase of the energy need in the XXI°Century, even when promoting “green economy” and “energy savings”

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9 billion of inhabitants in 2050

World population,

billions

Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013

In 2003 - 2005 : 25 Billion €/year of oil and gas imports : 6% of exports revenues In 2012 : 69 Billion € of oil and gas imports : over 15% of exports revenues

Fossil fuel imports represent over 95% of France’s trade deficit in 2012

In France : a non sustainable increasing cost

TOWARDS A CARBON-FREE ENERGY POLICY

More than 80% of the primary energy consumption in the world

still rely on fossil fuels

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Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013

EVIDENCE OF A GLOBAL WARMING

Very significant increase of atmospheric GHG since the industrial revolution (mid-XIX° Century)

Increasing of CO2 emissions of 40% between 1990 and 2009

Correlated by an increase

of surface temperature

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CO2

10 000 5 000 0

Time (before 2005)

1850 1900 1950 2000

Year

To-day situation

(IPCC 2007)

A drastic reduction of GHG is necessary to limit the risk of temperature increases

Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013

in industrial processes in housing in transport

Efficiency/Sobriety

FRENCH ENERGY POLICY

France keeps heading fixed by the European Climate-Energy Package in 2020

Two pillars of the 2020 French energy mix:

Renewable: intermittent supply

Nuclear energy: base-load supply

preserve the use of fossil energies for necessary needs

Nuclear and Renewable :

Reduction by 20% of emissions of greenhouse

gases (compared to 1990)

With a 23% share of renewable energy

in the energy mix

Reduction by 20% of the overall consumption

of primary energy

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Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013 | 6

In spite of the dramatic Fukushima accident, nuclear energy remains a widely shared option worldwide.

NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT CONFIRMED IN MANY COUNTRIES

Countries position after Fukushima accident

Nuclear program remained

Immediate economic impact

Decision to gradually exit nuclear power

Nuclear reactors in operation (Source: CEA/I-tésé- June 2012)

Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013

… BUT TO REGAIN THE POPULATIONS’ CONFIDENCE IS ESSENTIAL

Nuclear energy could only be developed if it is socially accepted as beneficial : after Fukushima, regain populations’ confidence, in Europe and in the world,

is essential

The answer to bring is clear :

To adopt the highest safety standards and to guarantee their widest application through the international community To report regularly on these international policy in full transparence (choice of technology and operational conditions to achieve in any case that there will be no-damaging release of radioactive materials outside nuclear site, “stress tests”, peer reviews, protection against external hazards (earthquakes and flooding)…, address the question of crisis management at the international level (dedicated training centers, specialized rapid assistances)) | 7

Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013

0,1

1

10

100

1000

10000

10 100 1000 10000 100000 1000000

Temps (années)

Rad

ioto

xic

ité r

ela

tive

102 105 106 104 103 10 0,1

1

10

102

103

104

Time (y)

U-ore

CURRENT FRENCH NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE

Current processing process implemented

in France at La Hague:

Allows recovering 99,99% of U and

Pu 96% of spent fuel

Significant improvement for waste

management

Divide by 5 waste volume

Divide by 10 waste toxicity

Decrease by >10 waste lifetime

Uranium & Plutonium 96%

Fission Products & Minor Actinides

4%

La Hague reprocessing plant – France

Relative radiotoxicity

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Spent fuel

Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013

Fast Reactors

Efficient burning of Plutonium

Better use of Uranium (minimum 60% versus 0.6% : x 100 !)

Potentialities for improving waste management (transmutation of Minor Actinides…)

No Uranium enrichment needed

A Roadmap (within the 2006 French Act)

2012 : assess the industrial potentialities of advanced recycling options (Astrid

prototype to be built by 2020)

International R&D collaborations in support to GEN IV reactors and fuel cycle

With Japan, India, Russia, GIF, USA, China, ESNII,

Korea, IAEA, …

CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE : GENERATION IV REACTOR

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Cuve Interne Cylindrique

Trompe inversée

Echangeur Interne

Pompe

Déversoir

Cuve Interne Cylindrique

Trompe inversée

Echangeur Interne

Pompe

Déversoir

ASTRID (SFR) as the reference

solution

Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013

SCENARIO OF SUSTAINABLE NUCLEAR ENERGY

Generation II - support nuclear industry

Generation IV (ASTRID)

1970 1990 2010 2030 2050

Generation III deployment TM

Generation I

Fusion (ITER)

2080

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Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013 | 11

FRENCH ENERGY STRATEGY – TWO DEBATES IN 2013

Debate on radioactive waste deep disposal project,

for a decision in 2015 : CIGEO underground repository

to be defined (in operation by 2025)

Debate on energy transition

Having a planning act in mid-2013, including diversification of energy sources and

promotion of energy efficiency

3 scenarios proposed by the National Alliance for Energy Research Coordination

(ANCRE) on French energy mix evolution at the horizon 2025 and 2050:

“Maximum sobriety",

“Drastic reduction of fossil fuel dependence by a priority use of electricity",

"Diversified supplies to reduce fossil fuel dependency"

Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013

Technologies by 2020-2030 > 2050

Basic research for Energy

Efficiency / sobriety

Nuclear Fusion

Green IT

Avoided energy use

TO PREPARE THE ENERGY TRANSITION TOWARDS A CARBON-FREE ENERGY MIX

Fren

ch e

ner

gy s

trat

egy

op

erat

ed b

y C

EA

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Nuclear Fission Gen IV

Bernard Bigot| March 4, 2013 | 13

In spite of the recent Fukushima accident, the use of nuclear energy

still remains a necessity for many countries

With a mastered and always improved safety, nuclear energy will go

on contributing to the world energy needs, reducing fossil fuel

dependency and GHG emissions

With the help of large international collaborations, CEA is committed

to demonstrate potential pathways for making significant progress for

future fast neutrons reactors and their corresponding fuel cycle

In synergy with nuclear energy, the renewable energies must be

widely developed

CONCLUSION

Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives

Centre de Saclay | 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex

T. +33 (0)1 64 50 25 85| F. +33 (0)1 64 50 11 86

Etablissement public à caractère industriel et commercial | RCS Paris B 775 685 019

Thank you

for your attention

Hervé BERNARD | July

15-20, 2012