Publication - February 6, 2012
An update of the 2008 Greenpeace International briefing on the EPR reactor. We have added some of the many new design and construction errors and the economic setbacks the EPR has run into. We also include more information on the tremendous gains in the cost performance of renewable energy and the increased level of investment.
The French EPR is a nuclear reactor design that is aggressively marketed by the French companies Areva and EDF. Despite the companies' marketing spin, not only is the reactor hazardous, it is also more costly and takes longer to build than renewable-energy alternatives. While no EPR is currently operating anywhere in the world, four reactors are under construction in Finland (Olkiluoto 3, construction started in 2005), France (Flamanville 3, 2007) and China (Taishan 1 and 2, 2009-10). The projects have failed to meet nuclear safety standards in design and construction, with recurring construction defects and subsequent cover-ups, as well as ballooning costs and timelines that have already slipped significantly.
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