La recomposition de l'industrie nucléaire française serait-elle nécessaire ?

Dominique Finon
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Dominique Finon: CIRED - centre international de recherche sur l'environnement et le développement - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AgroParisTech - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: In this paper we analyze the recent propositions to reorganize the French industry of reactors in view to increase its efficiency on the export markets. Based on a critic of the choices of reactor technologies offered to export market, the Roussely report published on June 2010 recommends to crown the French electricity utility as the leader of a so-called "French team" and to let him free to negotiate the sale of reactor of any technology that it would prefer as a Gen-2 reactor for example, and to place the French nuclear reactor constructor in a position of sub-contractor. The government has not followed this recommendation rightly. Based on an analysis of the changing world market of reactors, we defuse the criticism addressed to Areva on his choice, as well as the recommendation to open the present catalog of reactors to other models. The analysis leads to underline the importance of Areva's technological and industrial resources and the limited advantages of the EDF's skills in matter of architect-engineering and nuclear operation for winning export contracts. At the end of the day the mercantile approach which motivates the promoters of this tentative reform for competing with entrants prosing low cost nuclear reactors has been disapproved by the government, and that before the Fukushima accidents. We conclude by observing that only a flexible coordination between French industrial players would be useful for improving export performances of the French nuclear industry.

Keywords: Nuclear energy; Industrial Policy; Export Market; National Champion; France; Energie Nucléaire; Politique industrielle; Exportations; Champion national (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ene
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