ATMEA1 is an Evolutionary design
What is ATMEA?
Stefan vom Scheidt (CEO of ATMEA) – ATMEA is an AREVA NP and MHI 50/50 Joint Venture. headquartered in Paris, La Defense. The scope of ATMEA is to develop, license, sell and construct the ATMEA1, reactor. To develop the Basic Design of ATMEA1, ATMEA is using the engineering resources from AREVA and from MHI.
Makoto Kanda (Deputy CEO) – MHI and AREVA are ATMEA’s parent companies. The basic scheme at the stage of nuclear power plant project execution is that ATMEA will be holding the contract for the Nuclear Island, and MHI and AREVA will be providing supplies and engineering support as subcontractors.
SI: Could you describe the initial context that led Areva and MHI to jointly develop a mid-sized reactor?
MK – AREVA and MHI have a long-standing history of cooperation in a number of areas, notably R&D, components supply, MOX fuels and the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant.
SVS – Both AREVA and MHI were interested in developing a Mid-Sized Reactor to broaden their portfolio, since many utilities have sites which are not well suited for Large Size Reactors, because of site size, inadequate transmission lines, or insufficient heat sink conditions.
Why then didn’t AREVA or MHI develop a Mid Sized Reactor on their own?
SVS – Developing a reactor takes time, money and human resources. By developing this reactor together, it is a way to save time, money and to mutualise the resources in terms of people and technical solutions.
Developing a new reactor takes a lot of time. The duration for developing a reactor is a very important issue, since there are already existing competitor products, most are certified or being certified. By developing it together, it is enabling us to go much faster than doing it alone and so to compete in the upcoming nuclear renaissance. Therefore, we are able to develop the Basic Design of ATMEA1 in 2.5 years.
What are the main characteristics of the reactor?
MK – The latest features and latest technologies from AREVA and MHI designs, in terms of safety, environment and efficiency, have been adapted for the ATMEA1 reactor. ATMEA1 is not a Revolutionary design but an Evolutionary design. Using proven technologies leads to a high certainty of licensing, and they are strong assets of our design.
How far are we in the Basic Design?
MK – We are still in the development stage and we will complete Basic Design by the end of this year. At the completion of Basic Design work, we will be ready for formal bidding and licensing, and contracting. ATMEA1 will soon be on the market.
How is ATMEA positioned in the global market?
MK – We aim to take a leading position in the mid-size reactors market worldwide. This is a big challenge, but we are holding all the cards needed to achieve this. We have already started marketing activities, and the contacts with potential customers are providing very positive feedbacks.
SVS – This feedback from potential customers is confirming that there is a real market for Mid Sized Reactors and Generation III+ reactors. ATMEA is with no doubt answering a real need in the world wide market.
Could ATMEA1 be a competitor to EPRâ„¢ (AREVA) or APWR (MHI)?
SVS – AREVA and MHI are very clearly competitors in the Large Size Reactors market. But ATMEA1 is not a direct competitor of EPR or APWR, since it is a mid-size reactor.
If the customer requests a mid-size reactor, neither the EPR nor the APWR may be suitable.
France and Japan are two countries with very different cultures and methods. Were they source of difficulties, or at the contrary source of innovation?
MK – Actually, there are three countries involved in the ATMEA1 development: France, Germany and Japan. I don’t see any difficulties linked to cultural differences, they are rather source of synergies; since all of us share the same nuclear background and a long history of collaboration, we have a lot of similarities in our ways of doing business.
SVS – There is indeed a difference in culture, in the way of interfacing with people, but as soon as we are working on technical subjects, we are very close. I was very positively impressed by how good the relation has been and still is.
MK –MHI and AREVA are expanding the field of collaboration, and established a new joint venture for fuel manufacturing. This is also another evidence that the collaboration between the two companies is going well.
SVS – When launching ATMEA, there has been a very clear message from both top management, Mrs Lauvergeon and Mr. Tsukuda, and this message has been relayed to the people who were to work on the development of ATMEA1. There were no difficulties of culture as such.