Areva wins nuclear safety contract in Japan
French energy company Areva will equip the Japanese Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) fleet with 100 of its passive autocatalytic recombiner (PARs) safety devices, to prevent the build-up of hydrogen into reactor containment vessels.
French energy company Areva will equip the Japanese Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) fleet with 100 of its passive autocatalytic recombiner (PARs) safety devices, to prevent the build-up of hydrogen into reactor containment vessels.
The PARs are part of Areva’s Safety Alliance offering, a range of products and services that upgrade the safety of nuclear plant fleets.
The devices do not require any operator intervention or power and they can continue to work in the event of a power-plant blackout.
Areva Installed Base Business Unit executive vice president Philippe Samama said: "The interest in our product shows that it meets today’s utilities need to maximise plant safety," Samama added.
"PARs represent a major step forward in nuclear plant safety, and Areva is proud to be driving this progress with its Safety Alliance Program."
To date, a total of 140 plants worldwide have been or will be equipped with Areva’s PARs. Further orders have already been received this year and tenders to supply PARs to nuclear power plants in Europe and Asia are currently underway.
Concerns over nuclear safety in Japan were raised after the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in March 2011. The country plans to phase out nuclear power by 2040.
Image: PARs, which are part of Areva’s Safety Alliance offering, help in preserving the integrity of a nuclear reactor. Photo: courtesy of Janericloebe.