A French parliamentary committee has urged the government to push ahead with construction of a demonstration European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR) "without delay".
The French Parliamentary Office for Scientific and Technical Assessment called for construction of an EPR demonstration facility to be ready in 2007, with unit operation by 2012. The report read in part: "In order to ensure electricity production by between 2010 and 2015, France must commit itself to the construction of a demonstration facility without delay," if it is to have a tested reactor type ready for construction after the first 900MWe reactors are taken out of service. The report adds that France should "not be afraid of concretely supporting" the development of the EPR technology for the "long-term future of French electricity."
