Overenthusiasm For New Reactors Has Pitfalls, French Regulator Warns

摘要

France's top nuclear safety regulator, Andre-Claude Lacoste, cautioned exporter countries and nuclear power plant vendors against excessive "enthusiasm" about the commercial opportunities for potential new nuclear construction. Lacoste spoke November 27 at a conference organized by Confrontations Europe in cooperation with the French Nuclear Safety Authority, ASN. The conference was held at the European Parliament in Brussels to debate issues associated with the burgeoning demand for launching nuclear power programs in emerging countries. Lacoste, speaking in French with simultaneous translation to English, said the nuclear industry needed to prioritize among emerging countries and that there should be no premium given to countries that rush to develop a nuclear power program, which can take as long as 15 years.