The history of France's civil nuclear program traces the evolution that led France to become the world's second largest producer of nuclear-generated electricity by the end of the 20th century, based on units deployed, installed capacity, and total production. Since the 1990s, nuclear energy has furnished three-fourths of France's electricity; by 2018, this portion had reached 71.7%. At the start of the 20th century, France made significant contributions to the discovery of radioactivity and its initial uses. In the 1930s, French scientists uncovered artificial radioactivity and the mechanisms behind nuclear fission, placing the nation in a leading position within the field. However, World War II halted France's ambitions. When Germany occupied France, research relocated to the UK and subsequently to the US, where the first nuclear reactors and weapons were developed. After World War II, France initiated an extensive nuclear program with the establishment of the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), but due to resource constraints, it took a considerable amount of time to achieve substantial progress. In the 1950s, the pace accelerated as France initiated a military nuclear program, which led to the creation of a deterrent force in the subsequent decade. Simultaneously, France commenced the construction of its first nuclear power plants, which were intended to produce plutonium and electricity. In the 1970s, fueled by the oil shocks, the Pierre Messmer government decided to utilize "all-nuclear" power generation in France. This decision led to the construction of 58 standardized nuclear power reactors throughout the country for the next 25 years. Even though domestic technology was abandoned, French industrialists quickly incorporated the American technology they had chosen and exported it to South Africa, South Korea, and China. At the same time, France was developing expertise in managing the nuclear fuel cycle by constructing the largest civil reprocessing plant in the world at La Hague, as well as experimental fast-breeder reactors. Although the anti-nuclear movement had less of an impact in France than in other European countries from the 1980s onward, radioactive waste management emerged as a crucial issue in public discourse in France. In addition, the conclusion of the equipment phase, along with the liberalization of the electricity market, and the growing anti-nuclear movement bolstered by nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima, are causing changes in the French nuclear industry. Consequently, since 2015, initiatives have been made to decrease the proportion of electricity created by civil nuclear power in France, in order to accommodate renewable energy sources. Nevertheless, construction of new-generation French reactors, including the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), persists domestically and internationally. Research for future solutions is concentrated on Generation IV reactors and nuclear fusion. Meanwhile, shutting down reactors presents new challenges. President Macron announced in February 2022 his plan to restart the civil nuclear program to construct six to fourteen new reactors while also expanding the lifespan of current nuclear reactors "as much as possible."
The scientific adventure of the atom (1895-1945) In just fifty years, from the initial detection of X-rays to the development of nuclear reactors and weapons, the scientific pursuit of the atom completely changed the world. France was a prominent player in the field, courtesy of the Curie family's contributions, until World War II caused a severe setback to national efforts.
The origins (1895-1932)
By the end of 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen demonstrated that a cathode-ray tube produced invisible radiation capable of penetrating matter. This discovery, named "X-rays," earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physics and piqued the scientific community's interest. The next year, French physicist Henri Becquerel searched for a connection between phosphorescence and X-rays. He subsequently observed that uranium salts, also known as phosphorescent rocks, emitted radiation even if they weren't exposed to light. These emissions came to be known as Becquerel rays or uranic rays because they were believed to be unique to the element.
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