Five years ago in Alsace, the first reactor of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant stopped turning. We then talked about the end of an era … until the War in Ukraine And awareness of ecological emergency rebuild the cards. Between energy sovereignty, limited resources and influence issues, challenges around the nuclear are in size. In this fourth and last episode, we are interested in an innovation that could change everything: nuclear merger. Explanations from Sébastien Julian, head of the L’Express climate service.
Episode 4: Nuclear merger, the race for Grail
Charlotte Baris: Dear listeners, for this last episode on the challenges of nuclear, Sébastien Julian, the deputy editor-in-chief of the climate service, gave me an appointment in the south of France. To join him, I prepared the teleporter of the magnifying glass, which takes us where we want in an instant. I enter “Bouches-du-Rhône” for the department and for the commune “Saint Paul-le-Durance” … Ah Hello Sébastien!
Sébastien Julian : Hello Charlotte!
Charlotte Baris: So I landed a little in the middle of nowhere, with hills and vegetation as far as the eye can see. Above all, we are in the south and it is sunny. Since in this episode it is a question of the energy of tomorrow, I imagine Sébastien that you are going to tell me about solar panels?
Sébastien Julian : Well no, sorry Charlotte.
Charlotte Baris: Well … So I don’t see any wind turbines either, maybe you’re going to take me to see a hydrogen production site?
Sébastien Julian : Not still not. But I’m still going to take you to a factory, I’m me!
Charlotte Baris: We are heading towards modern buildings that spread out on several hectares. We enter: there are lots of machines around us, metallic corridors, very large spaces … There is an almost futuristic atmosphere here.
Sébastien Julian : Yes, and it is a very futuristic project. We’re going to talk about nuclear, but not just any.
Charlotte Baris: I think I have a little idea. You had already come to talk to us in an episode of the magnifying glass of the nuclear fusion.
Sébastien Julian : Exactly, what’s going on here is called the ITER project. In this big reactor that you see in front of you, we try to go from fission to fusion. It is an innovation in terms of nuclear that could change everything, I will explain everything to you.
Find all the episodes of the magnifying glass
Listen to this episode and subscribe to the magnifying glass on Apple Podcasts,, Spotify,, Deezer,, Podcast Addict And Amazon Music. To go further, you can find all the articles of the L’Express file on nuclear. You can also subscribe: right now the first month is one euro.
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“The atomic challenges” is an original series of the magnifying glass, the daily podcast of L’Express, presented by Charlotte Baris, written and mounted by Solène Alifat and produced by Jules Krot.
Credits : Europe 1, France 24, Ina
Music and dressing: Emmanuel Herschon/Studio Torrent
Logo: Jérémy Cambour
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To go further:
Nuclear merger: “It would have been necessary to launch an ITER project per continent”
PODCAST. What is nuclear merger? L’Express explains everything to you
Nuclear fusion: ITER, the delay too much?