French Train China Nuclear Experts

asianobserve

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By MAX COLCHESTER
December 29, 2011


PARIS—France has long exported its nuclear power technology. Now, as global demand wavers, the country is pitching its nuclear education too.

In five years, about 100 Chinese nuclear engineers will graduate from the Franco-Chinese Institute for Nuclear Energy in southern China's Guangdong province. Trained by top French professors, the graduates will leave the school fluent in French and with master's degrees in nuclear engineering.

China is building 28 of the 62 nuclear reactors under construction across the world. Above, work on a nuclear plant in Guangdong province in 2010.

For France, which is financing about half the cost of the recently opened university, the bet is a bold one: that these Chinese students will go on to become top nuclear officials who will practice high safety standards and hand lucrative contracts to French nuclear companies.

"We want to share our teaching methods," says Marianne Laigneau, the head of human resources at French state-owned power company Électricité de France SA, which pays roughly 10% of the school's €4 million ($5.2 million) annual budget. "But the aim is also to train future Chinese decision makers who can facilitate partnerships with France."

Many businesses, as diverse as aeronautics groups and McDonald's Corp., have set up colleges in China to train future employees and partners. But for France, which carefully guards its nuclear know-how, the stakes are higher in the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan.

"If China's investment in nuclear [energy] fails either from an industrial or safety point of view, it will impact France's strategic choices," says Bernard Bigot, the head of the French Atomic Energy Commission, which the agency that masterminded the country's nuclear expansion. "You only have to look at the impact that Fukushima had on France to understand that if a country invests in nuclear it has to do it in an exemplary manner."

The opening of the school underscores the lengths France is going to ensure its four-decade-long, €250 billion investment in nuclear energy continues to pay off. It also shows how the fate of France's nuclear industry is becoming increasingly entwined with China's.
Global safety concerns over nuclear power increased after Japan's March earthquake and subsequent radiation leak at the Fukushima plant. Now, ahead of elections next year, France's political consensus around nuclear energy is crumbling. The opposition Socialist Party has said it would close 24 of France's 58 reactors by 2025 if it is elected, reducing the country's dependence on nuclear energy by about one-third.

Several European countries, including Germany and Switzerland, have said since the Fukushima accident that they will phase out nuclear-power generation. China suspended its nuclear program amid the crisis in Japan, but Chinese officials seem ready to restart the program as early as year end.

Despite this, China is widely seen as the new nuclear El Dorado: The country is building 28 of the 62 reactors under construction across the world as it looks to reduce its use of heavily polluting coal and diversify its energy sources to meet booming demand, according to research by consulting group Capgemini.

China already represents an important source of revenue for some French state-controlled nuclear companies. French engineering group Areva SA, earned about 10% of its €9.1 billion in revenue in China in 2010. It has contracts to supply China with two reactors and recently signed a partnership with China National Nuclear Corp. to seek to optimize the Chinese company's existing nuclear plants.

But investing in China's nuclear development presents a conundrum. China is likely to become a global atomic power, says Colette Lewiner, an energy expert at consulting group Capgemini. "The issue being debated is to what lengths France should go to aid this process."
China also has a record of borrowing technology and trying to improve it. Analysts say training French-speaking engineers could give China a leg up, while helping potential sales in French-speaking regions in northern Africa, where China could eventually export nuclear-power technology.

France, like other nations that export nuclear technology, has long educated nuclear engineers from foreign countries with the aim of ensuring high safety standards. Normally, students or professors are invited to France to be trained before they return to their own country, says EDF's Ms. Laigneau. In China's case, such is the demand for engineers that France thought it easier to export its professors

The academy's €24 million six-year budget is provided by a consortium of businesses, including EDF, Areva and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co., while Chinese universities supply the buildings that house the program. A review will determine whether the French and Chinese will support the school beyond 2016.

China hopes to learn from French teaching methods and acquire extra knowledge about how to handle nuclear projects, says Yang Peiqing, the institute co-director. "We chose the French because first we believe that France is the leader of nuclear-energy technologies," Ms. Peiqing says. "We'd love to learn everything from the French."

Read more: France Broadens Nuclear Offerings - WSJ.com
 

asianobserve

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France is supplying weapons to Pakistan, to China (also nuclear tech), then weapons to India. I wonder who is France's preferred client? :cool2:
 

venkat

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The one with more money but less brain
Patriot!!! dont be shy to confess. confess man!!!confess !!!! I am from India and i see that you are also from india too!!!:taunt:
 
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nitesh

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France is supplying weapons to Pakistan, to China (also nuclear tech), then weapons to India. I wonder who is France's preferred client? :cool2:
This news is about civilian nuclear reactors, correct me if I am wrong here, but after reading the news, as per my understanding, I feel this is an uncalled twisting of facts by you
 

sesha_maruthi27

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These Europeans are better known for their treacherous divide and conquer strategy. First they give the natives what they want, then they lure them into the trap and destroy them and take control over the land and its resources. In this modern age of Hi-tech equipments giving the native countries the nuclear tech is for luring them and make them use this tech to destroy them by making to use the tech for attacking each other. We the Asians have to realize this and take proper steps to counter this.
 

Armand2REP

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France is supplying weapons to Pakistan, to China (also nuclear tech), then weapons to India. I wonder who is France's preferred client? :cool2:
How many Chinese are in US nuclear engineering degrees.... more than 100. They are in Yank land stealing all your secrets, they only get what we give them. :cool2:
 

no smoking

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Why so surprise, everyone?

Sino-French corporation on nuclear tech is nothing new! Actually they went far beyond that: they have helped each other on nuclear weapons.
 

no smoking

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Can you please elaborate?
It is what I read from a Taiwanese web site: in order to finish all neccessary data collection before CNTBT, china and French have done some nuclear tests for each other to save time. Considering there are lots of taiwaneses with intellegence background sharing information in there, I gave them some credits.
 

mylegend

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French has more than half of electricy supply from nuclear... Their civilian nuclear technology is among the top three in the world... It makes sense to learn from the French.
 

asianobserve

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Just because a Yank is in Malaysia, doesn't make it not a Yankee.

I keep telling you I'm not a Yank but you can consider me a US junkie (not uncritical). The prosperity we are experiencing now in SEA is in no large part because of the stability brought forth by US dominance in the region, of course a large part of the effort should be credited to us for working hard and being able to take advantage of the opportunity provided for. Unlike other parts of the World, we don't complain too much about the US dominance after all we don't have ambitions of World/regional dominance. But mind you we are doing much better than a lot of other countries who keep on dreaming of staying in castles in the skies...
 

Bhartiya

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good news for chinese I suppose, by the way what exactly will they teach them?? how to operate the general machinary or how to build and operate a nuclear reactor??
 

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