French technologies can solve nuclear waste problem, says French Ambassador

S. Korea and France have opportunities for cooperation on nuclear power, French Ambassador to Korea Philippe Lefort said during an online press conference on Wednesday.

At the event, Lefort highlighted France’s strategies to address eco-friendly use of nuclear energy and said that it was a suitable time to discuss related issues in light of nuclear energy and climate change challenges the world faces.

Referring to a recent report by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center, Lefort said that there was no scientific evidence that shows nuclear energy is more hazardous to health and environment than other power generation technologies included in the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities. French technologies can solve nuclear waste issues, he said.

The envoy spoke about spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and mentioned the La Hague plant in France that extracts plutonium and converts it into mixed oxide fuel.

“Ten percent of the electricity produced by nuclear power comes from recycling in France. After treatment, the final residue is sealed with a high-strength packaging material, which reduces the volume by five times and the toxicity by 10 times.”

A move to reprocessing would involve diplomacy beyond bilateral relations, however. A pact with the US bars Korea from reprocessing spent fuel for security reasons.

The press conference was joined by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission’s Deputy Head of International Cooperation Pascal Chaix, France’s National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management’s Head of International Cooperation Daniel Delort, Orano’s Asia President Philippe Hatron, Electric Power Company’s Japan President Vincent Dufour.

At the event, Cha Seung-soo, the President of Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, or KORAD, hinted at opportunities for cooperation between Korea and France in Seoul’s decommissioning of nuclear power plants.

“The Korean government is formulating a plan for a high-level radioactive waste treatment plant, and the experience of France can be used as a very valuable experience for us as well,” Cha said.

Since the establishment of KORAD in 2009, the agency has maintained close technical exchange and cooperation with French companies and currently it is operating a low and intermediate level radioactive waste in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. KORAD is conducting a comprehensive vision of 2030 to secure the safety of radioactive waste management based on public trust.

By Sanjay Kumar (sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com)