Cadarache
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The CEA Cadarache facility is a French scientific research centre which specialises in nuclear power research. It is located in the commune of Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, Bouches-du-Rhône, in the southern region of Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur. Lying approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) north-east of the city of Marseille, Cadarache has been a nuclear research centre since President Charles de Gaulle launched France's atomic energy program in 1959. The centre is operated by the Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (en: Atomic Energy Commission).
In 2005, Cadarache was selected to be the site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the world's largest nuclear fusion reactor. Construction of the ITER complex began in 2007, and it is projected to begin operation in 2022.[1] Cadarache also plays host to a number of research reactors, such as the Jules Horowitz Reactor, which is expected to be completed around 2015.[2]
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Facilities [edit]
The Cadarache facility is one of the largest nuclear research sites in Europe, hosting 21 fixed nuclear installations, including reactors, waste stockpiling and recycling facilities, and research centers. It employs over 4,500 people, and approximately 350 students and foreign collaborators carry out research in the facility’s laboratories.[3]
One of the most notable nuclear installations at Cadarache is the ITER experimental nuclear fusion tokamak, which is expected to be completed by 2018. When it becomes operational in 2022, ITER is hoped to be the first large-scale fusion reactor to produce more energy than is used to initiate its fusion reactions.[4] Other nuclear installations at Cadarache include the Tore Supra tokamak – a predecessor to ITER – and the Jules Horowitz Reactor, a 100-megawatt research reactor which is planned for completion in 2015.
Activities [edit]
Numerous nuclear research activities are conducted at Cadarache, including mixed-oxide fuel (MOX) production, nuclear propulsion and fission reactor prototyping, nuclear fusion research and research into new forms of fission fuel. Nuclear waste is also treated and recycled at the site.
Notable incidents [edit]
A number of accidents, of varying severity, have occurred at Cadarache since its inception. Some of these incidents are listed below.
- 31 March 1994: A sodium explosion took place while the Rapsodie experimental reactor was being dismantled.[5] The explosion was classified as a Class 2 incident by the ASN.
- 2 November 2004: A fire broke out, but caused no radioactive contamination.[6]
- 6 November 2006: A fault in the equipment used to weigh MOX led to a grinder being loaded with more than the authorised amount of fissile material, presenting the possible threat of a spontaneous nuclear reaction. Initially classified as a low-priority Class-1 level incident, it was subsequently revised to Class 2 by the ASN.
- 1 October 2008 : A fire broke out in a non-nuclear installation.
- 6 October 2009: A higher quantity of plutonium than authorised was uncovered in the Plutonium Technology Workshop. The ASN classified the incident as Class 2, and suspended dismantling work on the workshop. After investigation, it was revealed that the cause of the incident was the accumulation between 1966 and 2004 of fine plutonium dust in the 450 glove boxes in the workshop. Following the incident, further inspections revealed that another installation, STAR, also showed quantities of plutonium in excess of the authorised amounts. The incident was classified level 1 by the ASN.
Seismological risk [edit]
Cadarache is situated on the Aix-en-Provence-Durance seismological fault, and lies close to another fault, Trévaresse. The Aix-Durance fault caused France's worst recorded earthquake in 1909. In a 2000 report, the ASN mandated the closure of six installations at Cadarache that did not meet aseismic construction standards. By 2010, three of these had been shut down, with the remaining three to be shut down by 2015.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "One giant leap for mankind: £13bn Iter project makes breakthrough in the quest for nuclear fusion, a solution to climate change and an age of clean, cheap energy". The Independent. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ "Halden technology to be adapted and implemented in new research reactor." IFE.no. 2011. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
- ^ The site. Cadarache.cea.fr. Retrieved 2012-05-01.
- ^ "Key component contract for Iter fusion reactor". BBC. 2010-10-14. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
- ^ "Cadarache, le procès du Commissariat à l'énergie atomique renvoyé à décembre" (in French). Actualités-News-Environnement.com. 15 March 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
- ^ "2 novembre 2004 Incident à Cadarache" (in French). France3.fr. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
External links [edit]
Coordinates: 43°41′15″N 5°45′43″E / 43.68750°N 5.76194°E
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