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> become better at building nuclear power reactors than the US or Russia Perhaps you meant "better than the US and France"? France has a much bigger nuclear po

> become better at building nuclear power reactors than the US or Russia Perhaps you meant "better than the US and France"? France has a much bigger nuclear power industry than Russia.

ChuckMcM 11y ago
I actually meant Russia, typically France's nuclear research and the US research is, as far as I can tell pretty much joined at the hip. That also goes for English, and German research as well. Both China and Russia began nuclear research programs against the interests of that western block, and because of that history, sharing was (and as I understand it from folks I've talked to about collaborating, still is) not freely, or as freely, shared. [would love to hear from current researchers though to know if this would agree with that impression] Thus independently seeded programs tend to have different approaches and limitations, and that gives them the opportunity to progress differently. From that perspective I see France and the US as the same body of research. (although I agree, the French have an extensive program).
- danmaz74 11y ago
  AFAIK, France developed their own nuclear program - both civil and military - in a completely independent way from the US. I don't know how much cooperation there is nowadays, but I wouldn't expect a lot of it in a market where there is a very strong competition between Areva and Westinghouse (which, incidentally, is a company based in the US, but is owned by Japan's Toshiba). Anyway, regarding the technology, Terrapower is a US company and I'm pretty sure they'll also get all the know-how that will come out of the developments in China.
- fnordfnordfnord 11y ago
  The French are fairly well regarded in current-gen nuclear power tech. I wouldn't call them joined at the hip with the US. They compete with US firms worldwide for plant construction business. They built the Daya Bay plant in China, and I assume, a number of others.

> become better at building nuclear power reactors than the US or Russia Perhaps you meant "better than the US and France"? France has a much bigger nuclear power industry than Russia.

ChuckMcM 11y ago

I actually meant Russia, typically France's nuclear research and the US research is, as far as I can tell pretty much joined at the hip. That also goes for English, and German research as well. Both China and Russia began nuclear research programs against the interests of that western block, and because of that history, sharing was (and as I understand it from folks I've talked to about collaborating, still is) not freely, or as freely, shared. [would love to hear from current researchers though to know if this would agree with that impression] Thus independently seeded programs tend to have different approaches and limitations, and that gives them the opportunity to progress differently. From that perspective I see France and the US as the same body of research. (although I agree, the French have an extensive program).

danmaz74 11y ago
AFAIK, France developed their own nuclear program - both civil and military - in a completely independent way from the US. I don't know how much cooperation there is nowadays, but I wouldn't expect a lot of it in a market where there is a very strong competition between Areva and Westinghouse (which, incidentally, is a company based in the US, but is owned by Japan's Toshiba). Anyway, regarding the technology, Terrapower is a US company and I'm pretty sure they'll also get all the know-how that will come out of the developments in China.
fnordfnordfnord 11y ago
The French are fairly well regarded in current-gen nuclear power tech. I wouldn't call them joined at the hip with the US. They compete with US firms worldwide for plant construction business. They built the Daya Bay plant in China, and I assume, a number of others.