French Local Section of the ANS
Section Française de l'ANS
French Nuclear Society
Société Française de l'Energie Nucléaire
(SFEN)
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| American Nuclear Society (ANS) |
French Local Section of the ANS Section Française de l'ANS |
French Nuclear Society |
The French Section of the American Nuclear Society (SFANS) is a learned Society, the statutory mission of which is to promote cooperation between France and the United States in the field of peaceful nuclear energy.
SFANS MAIN CONSTITUENCIES
The CEA is a major player in research, development, and innovation. It focuses on three main fields: energy; information and health technologies; and defense. Through the diversity of its programs, it pursues two major objectives: (1) to become the leading European scientific and technological research body and (2) to guarantee the continuation of the nuclear deterrent. It intends to achieve these objectives through a mutually beneficial crossed engineer/researcher culture, favoring synergies between fundamental research and technological innovation, exceptional installations (super computer, research reactor physics instruments, power lasers, etc).
The CEA is fully involved into the industrial and economic fabric with a staff of over 15,000 employees, and a budget of $ 2.7 billions. The CEA operates nine centers throughout France and takes advantage of the presence and solid partnerships with other research bodies, local institutions, and universities. In order to encourage the transfer of knowledge, the CEA places strong emphasis on education and information to the public. Recognized as an expert in its fields, the CEA is a full partner of European research and is increasingly present at the international level.
The AREVA group is the worldwide leader in energy (nuclear reactors, nuclear fuel cycle, and electricity transmission and distribution) and aims for one-third of the global nuclear market. The AREVA group has manufacturing facilities in over 40 countries and a sales network in over 100. Today, the group has 70,000 employees with sales of revenues of € 10.1 millions in 2005.
websites: AREVA AREVA BUSINESS GROUPS
The consolidated turnover in 2008 was 64.2 billion €, and net Group share of results of 3.4 billion €. EDF counts over 38 million customers worldwide and over 158,000 employees around the world.
EDF has a standardized fleet of nuclear power plants made of up of 58 nuclear pressurized water reactors, spread over 19 sites in France, with power generating capacities varying from 900 MW to almost 1500 MW. The operating life of nuclear power stations in France is now estimated at 40 years.
The total installed nuclear capacity is 63.3 GWe (in 2008 ).
EDF controls the entire life cycle of its nuclear power stations. The company constructs its installations and takes complete technical and financial responsibility for deconstructing them at the end of their operating life.
The construction of a first EPR reactor at Flamanville, in Normandy, with a capacity of 1,650 MW, is an essential stage in the renewal of EDF's nuclear generation capacity and represents a major industrial challenge. In the current economic conditions (2008), the cost of this investment is estimated at 4 billion euros, which gives an estimated generation cost of 54 euros per MWh. Commissioning of the plant is planned for 2012.
The EDF group is actively reaching a strategic forward step at international level, as constructor of new reactors, and co-investor in this area on the two largest markets worldwide , namely The US and China. The Group intends to invest 40 to 50 billion euros into the EPR until 2020. Meanwhile, EDF has acquired British Energy, the British nuclear power operator, in September 2008, a major step into the future of the EDF Group which intends to build four EPR in the United Kingdom at the 2025 horizon.
RECENT AND UPCOMING EVENTS
ANS President MacFarlane's visit to France and SFANS' General Assembly
Following the tradition, the ANS French Section (SFANS) has invited the ANS President Harold Mac Farlane to its General Assembly held on September 25, 2006 at the Club France-Amériques in Paris. On this occasion, he gave a presentation on “A New US Nuclear Energy Lanscape” to a large audience including in particular this year, many young nuclear engineers as well as senior executives from French nuclear research and industry, international agencies, and ministries.
During his visit to France, President Mac Farlane had several meetings in particular with the French Section Board and with AREVA senior executives. With the French Section Board, President Mac Farlane reviewed the ongoing relationship between the ANS and the French Section and discussed how to enhance the international role of the Society in the framework of the current ANS Strategic Planning process.
In addition to these meetings, a one day technical tour was scheduled to CEA/Cadarache Research Center, highlighting nuclear fuel development with the lab scale fuel fabrication facility GAIA, the LEFCA (Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Fabrication de Combustibles Avancés) and the MASURCA (MAquette SURgénérateur de CAdarache) critical facility.
As part of the International
SFANS Student Exchange Program, Aurelia Estève, Alice Soulié and Damien Lebrun-
Grandi (not on the photo) have been sponsored for their three-month internships
at Idaho National Laboratory during the summer 2008.
2008 Technical Tour in France for US Engineering Professors
Following six successful technical tours of French nuclear facilities organised by the French section for US nuclear engineering professors, the seventh took place from July 6 to 12 under the leadership of Dominique Grenèche : the French Section Chair, and an AREVA member – in connection with his American counterpart Brian Hajek from Ohio State University. Twelve professors from eleven different universities took part in this intensive program including special nuclear visits across the country.
This extensive tour included main French nuclear R and D centres, MOX fuel fabrication plant, hot labs for research on advanced fuel cycles, large component fabrication facilities, and steam generators, as well as two major sites devoted to research and operation of radioactive waste management activities. The sites of the La Hague reprocessing plant and that of Flamanville, where the first French EPR is under construction were also visited.
The US Professors at La Hague - From left to right: Mitty Plummer (University of North Texas), Jeff King (Missouri University of Science &Technology), the AREVA guide, Man-Sung Yim (North Carolina State University), David Boyle (Texas A&M University), Susan Sterett (Duke University), Michel Debès (EDF), Brian Hajek (Ohio State Unversity), William Wepfer (Georgia Tech University), Paul Murray (AREVA Inc.), Patrick Pinhero (University of Missouri Columbia), Travis Knight (University of South Carolina), Mary Lou Gougar ( Senior Consultant/Idaho State Unversity), Michael Lineberry (Idaho State University), Ron Gilgenbach (University of Michigan) & Dominique Grenêche (SFANS).
Information Meetings
During 2008, the French Section has been organising lectures and information meetings in order to allow the French public to become aware of major US nuclear projects and achievements .
The Counsellor for Nuclear Energy at the French Embassy in Washington D.C., Dr Jacques Figuet gave a presentation in May in Paris on “ The Nuclear Renaissance in the United States on the eve of the new Presidency” which was attended by a large audience.
International Student Exchange Program
In the framework of the International Exchange Program (ISEP) sponsored by ANS, USDOE, and the French Section, two French students from the Ecole des Mines de Paris: Pierre Hanania and Aurélien Bernard have been selected to spend a three-month internship in Argonne National Laboratories.
Conversely, in the framework of specific exchanges with US universities, two American students benefited from an internship at AREVA, and the CEA will host during one year an American student from the University of Wisconsin.
ANS Nuclear Historic Landmark Award
Nominated by the French section, the AREVA Châlon / St Marcel plant received the prestigious nuclear historic ANS landmark award, with the following quote “AREVA Châlon/ St Marcel has successfully demonstrated since 1975 its uninterrupted capacity to manufacture more than 500 high quality components for worldwide nuclear plants”.
ANS Fellow
Jacques Bouchard, Advisor to the Administrator General of the French Atomic Energy Commission, and Chair of the GIF/Generation IV international Forum, has been elected in June 2008 ANS Fellow for “his outstanding leadership in designing France's new strategy for future nuclear energy systems, which has deeply influenced the international GEN IV and GNEP initiatives. “ For outstanding contributions as Chair of the GEN IV international Forum, toward the sustainable development of nuclear energy worldwide, and for his essential contributions as President of the French Nuclear Society SFEN toward furthering the collaboration between the ANS and SFEN”.
2008 SFANS Young Nuclear Engineer Award
The SFANS conducted an award selection among French PhD students working in nuclear research laboratories at AREVA, CEA, and EDF and interested in participating in ANS Topical or annual meetings to be held in the US.
The first Young Nuclear Engineer Award was presented to Johan Antunes who has just graduated, ranking first, from the French Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology. The second award was for Pierre Laghoutaris, a PhD student working at CEA Saclay Research Centre.
SFANS
President Grenèche delivers the 2008 SFANS
Young Nuclear
Engineer Award to Pierre LAGHOUTARIS.
International Student Exchange Programme
Three French students : Aurelia Estève and Alice Soulié from the Ecole des Mines de Paris and Damien Lebrun-Grandié from Grenoble Polytechnic Institute (National Engineering School of Physics) have been sponsored by the French Section for their three-month-internship at Idaho National Laboratory during summer or fall.
SF@NS NEWS - SFANS's electronic newsletter