Areva - Reference Document 2016

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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, PATENTS AND LICENSES

11.1 Research and Development

In parallel, the Basic Design of the version adapted to EDF’s domestic requirements for fleet replacement (the “EPR NM” version) continued in partnership with EDF. AREVA NP has particular responsibility for the design of the nuclear steam supply system and of the safety instrumentation and control system. This version incorporates certain simplifications (single containment, etc.) in order to reduce capital costs. ATMEA1 REACTOR The ATMEA1 reactor is being developed within the framework of the ATMEA joint venture created in 2007 with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). This 1100 MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR) combines the know-how of both companies. It is designed for medium capacity power grids. Following validation of the reactor’s design basis in 2012 by the French nuclear safety authority ASN, the joint detailed generic design was completed by the two companies, providing a model ready for construction, depending on implementation prospects (see Sinop site in Turkey). GENERATION IV SODIUM-COOLED FAST REACTORS (SFR) To support sustainable development and the international initiative on Generation IV reactors, AREVA continued its cooperation with the CEA on conceptual designs of the nuclear island of Astrid (Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration), the Generation IV demonstration reactor. This is a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) that will be used for technology and industrial demonstrations. The front-end engineering and design of the Astrid reactor was finished in late 2015 with the submittal of the Preliminary Design Report and the Nuclear Safety Design Basis document. Under the agreement between France and Japan on the development of the sodium-cooled fast reactor technology and the Astrid reactor, AREVA, as a French industrial company, is a stakeholder in the implementation agreement signed between JAEA, the CEA, AREVA, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and the latter’s subsidiary MFBR. The basic design of Astrid, to be carried out over the 2016-2019 period, was kicked off in early 2016 with a milestone of design basis validation by the end of 2017. OTHER REACTOR CONCEPTS: SMR, HTR, MSR… AREVA NP was selected by NuScale Power as part of its 50-MWe modular reactor project funded by the DOE to carry out a certain number of studies and tests in AREVA NP’s technical centers and to design and supply the fuel for this reactor. In France, AREVA NP, alongside AREVA TA, is a member of the EDF-led consortium to respond to the invitation to tender from the UK government related to conceptual designs for small and modular reactors (SMR) with the perspective of being a supplier of “technology building blocks” (components, instrumentation and control system, fuel, etc.). Concerning high-temperature reactors (HTR), AREVA NP is validating its expertise and experience with this type of reactor by participating in the US Department of Energy’s Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project. The goal of that project is to design a commercial high-temperature reactor to be used for the co-generation of electricity and industrial process heat. AREVA also continues to follow through with its commitments with regard to European HTR projects. In addition, AREVA NP is actively monitoring other Generation IV reactor concepts by participating in international collaboration projects such as the European Samofar project for molten salt reactors and collaborating with the CNRS and the CEA (NEEDS program).

ITER AND FUSION As part of a contract with the ITER organization, AREVA NP is building a prototype module of the primary wall of ITER, a highly complex component equipped with beryllium tiles located near the plasma and thus subject to intense thermal flux. AREVA NP is also participating in the activities of the Fusion Industry Innovation Forum, whose prime objective is to define the technology roadmap leading to the construction of the first power-generating fusion facilities. Improving fuel and reactor design tools AREVA NP puts considerable effort into improving its modeling tools and design codes, both on its own and in collaborationwith theCEA. These projects prioritize the development of advanced physical models that make use of expanding computer modeling capabilities. They cover the state of the art of knowledge on PWR and BWR extended validity ranges, architectures for modular applications, and graphical interface ergonomics. Such evolutions help to improve the accuracy of code-based predictions, reduce assembly and reload design costs, and improve design quality. The goal of this research is to design and validate fuels and reactors that deliver even better performance. Within this framework, the Arcadia neutronics calculation software certified by the NRC is now in industrial use, in particular to support the calculation of fuel reload supplies in the United States, with significant gains for the operator in the number of assemblies to be supplied due to its enhanced ability to accurately predict requirements compared with previous systems. Increasing the competitiveness of our products and methods and matching them to power plant operator requirements AREVA NP continues to improve its products and services for operators of all types of nuclear power plants (PWR, BWR, VVER and Candu), particularly in the following areas: p safety instrumentation and control systems (TELEPERM ® XS), measurement and diagnostics products, safety-related sensors and emergency electrical systems, preparation of advanced generations matched to the requirements of new reactor projects; p services to operators to extend operating periods: diagnostics and demonstration of the service period of components and structures; component maintenance and replacement; and techniques to increase the resistance of components to external events or for in situ repair, such as the cavitation peening process successfully implemented in the United States: the line of related products is presented to the utilities in the Forward Alliance catalogue; p safety reviews (10-year reviews, supplementary safety assessments) and products to improve nuclear safety (complete range of containment filters for all types of reactors; hydrogen risk management; reassurance of core cooling and of used fuel storage pool cooling; new leak-proof systems for primary coolant pump seals; instrumentation and tools for situation management): the line of related products is presented to the utilities in the Safety Alliance catalogue; p value creation for reactor operators: increased availability; maintenance automation and efficiency; increased power or efficiency; flexibility and load following; new products that give customers increased operational savings and performance; and enhanced worker safety such as dose reduction: the line of related products is presented to the utilities in the Value Alliance catalogue;

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2016 AREVA REFERENCE DOCUMENT