France was trying to avert a crisis of confidence on Tuesday over its new-generation EPR nuclear reactor after regulators in three countries raised questions over control and safety systems. French government officials are expected to contact authorities in the United Arab Emirates in an attempt to assuage concerns as the Gulf state weighs bids in one of the worldÂ’s biggest nuclear tenders on offer.The French companies Areva, designer of the EPR, Total and GDF Suez are among three bidders for a contract to build at least four, and possibly up to six, reactors in the UAE.
One source close to the bidding exercise said the concerns raised this week might have dented France’s image compared with rival US and South Korean bids, although these, too, had experienced problems. “It hasn’t helped at all – especially as one of the key arguments has been that the EPR is safer than all the others,” said the source.
The EPR, the worldÂ’s first third-generation reactor under construction, is leading FranceÂ’s international drive in the atomic energy sector. Two are being built in Finland and France.
Paris is expected to defend the French offer by arguing that the safety concerns have been expressed as part of the normal process in building a new nuclear reactor. Officials will insist the concerns have become public only because of FranceÂ’s transparent safety regime.