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Atmea

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Atmea is a joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Areva that develops, markets, licenses and sells the ATMEA1 reactor, a new generation III+, medium-power pressurized water reactor (PWR). The company is headquartered in Paris.[1]

History

A memorandum of understanding between the two companies effectively creating the entity was signed 19 October 2006 and the name of the joint venture was announced on 3 September 2007.[2] The European Commission cleared the joint venture in October 2007 on the grounds that the activities of Areva and MHI are geographically complementary and Atmea was unlikely to strengthen the competitiveness of each parent company.[3]

Following financial difficulties at Areva, MHI announced in 2015 it will make a proposal to take a minority ownership stake in Areva.[4] In Jun 2016 Électricité de France, Areva NP's new owner, and MHI signed a memorandum of understanding, which may lead to MHI taking a stake in Areva NP and further joint development of Atmea.[5]

Governance

Andreas Goebel is the Atmea Company’s President and CEO. Satoshi Utsumi is the company’s Deputy CEO.[6]

The ATMEA1 reactor

The ATMEA1 reactor is a 1100 MWe generation III+ pressurized water reactor with three coolant loops and a thermal power level of 3,150 MWth.[7] The design has high thermal efficiency (typically 10% higher than currently operating reactors), a 60-year service life and a load-following capability.[7] The reactor can be set to a 12- to 24 month operational cycle.[8]

The ATMEA1 reactor’s systems and components were previously developed by AREVA and MHI for the EPR and APWR, including steam generators with axial economizer and TT690 tubes, advanced accumulators and reactor internals with Heavy Neutron Reflector.[7]

The ATMEA1 safety features include three redundant trains of emergency core cooling systems and a core-melt retention system.[7]

With a power output of 1100 Mwe, the ATMEA1, is targeted to attract new-entry countries looking to develop nuclear power.[9] In comparison, Mitsubishi's APWR is slated to have a power of 1700 MWe[10] while Areva's European Pressurized Reactor currently under construction will have an output of 1600 Mwe.

Compliance

In 2013, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) released a pre-project design review of the ATMEA1 reactor and found the design compliant with CNSC regulatory requirements and expectations for new nuclear power plants in Canada.[11]

In 2012 the French Nuclear Safety Authority, (Autorité de sûreté nucléaire or ASN), released a report finding the safety options and design choice of the ATMEA1 satisfactory and in compliance with French regulations.[12]

On 7 July 2008 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) completed the review of the conceptual safety design features for the ATMEA1.[7] The report concluded that the ATMEA1 conceptual design addresses the IAEA’s fundamental safety principles and key design and safety assessment requirements.[13]

Planned construction

On 3 May 2013, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, signed a US$22 billion deal for the construction of the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant in Turkey. Plans for the 4800 MWe plant were ratified by Turkey’s government in April 2015.[14] Ownership of the plant will be split between a consortium of Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Itochu, and France’s Areva and GDF Suez with 51%, and Turkey’s state-run power producer EUAS with 49%.[15][16] The plant will comprise four ATMEA1 reactors. Construction is planned to begin in 2017, with the first unit in operation by 2023.[17]

Other activities

Mitsubishi provided forgings for the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant that Areva is currently constructing in Finland.[18]

Areva is building two EPRs at the Taishan site in Guangdong province, China. It signed a strategic agreement with China National Nuclear Corporation in March 2014.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Key facts and figures". ATMEA. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Areva and Mitsubishi create Atmea joint venture". World Nuclear News. WNN. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Atmea joint venture gets EC approval". World Nuclear News. WNN. 30 October 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  4. ^ "MHI prepares bid for stake in Areva's reactor business". World Nuclear News. 6 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  5. ^ "EDF and MHI consider collaboration". World Nuclear News. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  6. ^ "ATMEA General Management". ATMEA.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Status report 99" (PDF). IAEA. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  8. ^ "The ATMEA1 Reactor". Nuclear Engineering International. NEI. 20 April 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  9. ^ "Our projects". ATMEA. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  10. ^ "Mitsubishi Nuclear Technologies and Global Partnerships" (PDF). Mitsubishi. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  11. ^ Phase 1 Executive Summary Pre-Project Design Review of ATMEA’s ATMEA1 Reactor (PDF). Canada Nuclear Safety Commission. June 2013.
  12. ^ "ASN issues a positive opinion on the safety options for the ATMEA1 reactor project". French Nuclear Safety Authority. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  13. ^ "IAEA Completes Conceptual Safety Review Of Atmea-1 Reactor Design". The Communications Network for Nuclear Energy and Ionising Radiation. NucNet. 7 July 2008.
  14. ^ "Turkey Prepares to Host First ATMEA 1 Nuclear Reactors". PowerMag. Electric Power. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  15. ^ "Turkey Breaks Ground for First Nuclear Power Plant". IHS Engineering 360. IHS. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  16. ^ "Turkey ratifies agreement for new plant at Sinop". World Nuclear News. WNN. 2 April 2015.
  17. ^ "Japanese companies aim to fund 30% of Turkish nuclear project". Nikkei Asian Review. Nikkei. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  18. ^ "Olkiluoto 3 - Finland". Areva. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
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