In the heart of a Pressurized Water Reactor
Game: Energy Memory Game
Olkiluoto 3 Project Progress of the works november 2009 (EN)
OLKILUOTO 3 avancement des travaux en image
Enhanced radiation protection
The EPR™ reactor is designed to improve radiation protection for personnel. The collective dose of radioactivity is two times less than that in previous power plants. The latter is already on a par with natural doses.
Reduced exposure to radioactivity
The EPR™ reactor enhances radiation protection for operating and maintenance staff. The objective: for the collective dose to remain around 0.4 man-Sievert per reactor per year. This is considerably lower than the average value of 1 man-Sievert currently observed in nuclear power plants in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries.
The Sievert (Sv) is the unit used to measure the most significant biological doses for a human being. A dose is a measurement characterizing the exposure of people subjected to radiation.
Exposure lower than that of natural radioactivity
In comparison, in France, the doses for the population resulting from only natural radioactivity (for example from rocks in the ground) vary from 1 to 6 man-Sievert per reactor per year. The average professional dose observed within the fleet is therefore comparable with natural doses.
In certain parts of the world, doses from natural radioactivity from the ground can be higher:
- greater than 10 mSv/year in southern India
- close to 175 mSv/year in certain parts of Brazil
- up to 300 mSv/year in certain parts of Iran
