tEuropean pressurized water reactor: safety objectives and principles

In 1989 FraiTiatome and Siemens, the two most experienced European nuclear power plant suppliers, decided to join the eIToils tor the development of a new reactor type for the next generation in their equally owned subsidiary Nuclear Power International (NPI). In 1992 Electricite de France and the major German utilities operating nuclear power plants merged their own development programs with that of Nuclear Power International and initiated the European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) project. In order to reach the two major targets of the project, the licensability in both countries, France and Germany, and the competitiveness of nuclear energy with other alternative energy sources, the design basis which had differently developed in the two counlries needed to be harmonized. In parallel, the licensing aulhoritics of both countries extended their existing cooperation in the field of a safety survey of existing nuclear power plants lo the definition of safety criteria lor the next generation of nuclear power plants. Through this cooperation the licensability of EPR in France and Germany will he assured. Continuously performed cost analysis show in addition that also the second liirizct of the project, the competitiveness with alternative primary energy sources, can be achieved. Thanks to the fruitful cooperation between all parlies involved, satisfactory results have been achieved not by a simple superposition of existing design features but through a careful evaluation and combination of the best available alternatives. At the end of 1997 the basic design results were compiled in a final report. Subsequently an optimization phase was launched that further improves the compelilivencss of the power generation costs. © 1999 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.