SCIENCE AND WEAPONS DAILY REVIEW

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0001516057
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: June 22, 2015
• Document Release Date: April 18, 2008
• Case Number: F-2002-00074
• Publication Date: June 2, 1981

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FRANCE: POSSIBLE CUT BACK IN NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM
Newly-elected French President- Mitterrand may reduce
emphasis on his country's domestic nuclear program,
thereby jeopardizing its edge in world competition.
Mitterrand wants to expose the domestic nuclear program
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2 JUNE 1981
to greater public discussion before deciding whether to
modify the ambitious existing plans. He has supporters
in the ecological movement, many of whom are pressing
for cutbacks in reactor construction, and particularly
for reconsideration of fast-breeder development. The
new cabinet already has decided to abandon
controversial plans for a reactor at Plogoff on the
Atlantic coast, but Mitterrand himself is not opposed
to nuclear power. He depends on the support of French
labor unions, which would be opposed to the
unemployment created by drastic cutbacks in
construction. There will be no firm determination of
government policy until after legislative elections on 7
and 14 June.
France has had the most ambitious nuclear power program
in the world. At the.,end of 1980, it had 23 reactors
producing electric power and 29 additional light-water
power reactors under construction. Four new facilities,
totaling 4,695 megawatts electrical, are scheduled to
begin construction in 1981, and 14 more are in the
planning stage. In 1983, the first commercial
fast-breeder reactor (Superphenix-1) is scheduled to
start up at Creys-Malville.
French nuclear efforts over the past 20 years were
successfully advanced through intensive research
programs under the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique.
Nuclear reactors and other related facilities were
constructed by Framat:,me, Cogema, and other government
supported or controlled companies, as well as by
private industry. The former Giscard administration
strongly supported construction at home, as well as
foreign sales promotions.
Thus, when approaching foreign countries, the French
were able to emphasize their rapidly increasing
experience in the efficient construction and safe
operation of modern light-water reactors, and the
availability of engineers, designers, and technicians
familiar with the most up-to-date innovations in
 nuclear reactor technology. They could also offer
customers a reliable source of uranium enrichment
services from the Eurodif gaseous diffusion plant,
guaranteeing future fuel under less restrictive
safeguards than required by the United States. In
addition, they could offer reprocessing services for
spent reactor fuel in their plant at La Hague, the only
commercial reprocessing plant operating in the world.
When combined with financial incentives and political
efforts, such as former President Giscard's trip to
Egypt, the French were formidable competitors.
The French advantages have become especially apparent
in the past few years, as domestic nuclear programs of
competing countries (primarily West Germany and the
United States) continue to stagnate for lack of orders,
reactor licencing problems, and delays resulting from
antinuclear activity. If France's domestic nuclear
program is cut, its competitive edge will dwindle away
as reactors currently under construction are completed
and industry.slows during the next five years.