Atmea

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ATMEA was a joint venture created in 2006 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and EDF Group to develop and market the ATMEA1 reactor, a new generation III+ medium-power pressurized water reactor (PWR). The company was based in Paris and was abandoned in 2019.

ATMEA began when AREVA NP and MHI signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2006 to form the entity, with the name ATMEA announced in September 2007. The European Commission approved the venture in October 2007, finding that AREVA and MHI’s activities were geographically complementary and unlikely to reduce competition between the parent companies. In 2018, after a reorganization of France’s nuclear industry under EDF, ATMEA’s partnership was redefined, reinforcing the Franco-Japanese nuclear offering.

Initially ATMEA was formed by AREVA NP and MHI to develop the ATMEA1 reactor. The later structure gave EDF and MHI a 50/50 ownership, with a special share held by Framatome. This arrangement aimed to present a united Franco-Japanese package for countries looking to expand nuclear power as part of a low-carbon transition.

The ATMEA1 reactor is designed to produce about 1,200 megawatts-electric (MWe). It is a Gen III+ PWR with three coolant loops, delivering roughly 3,150 MWth, high thermal efficiency, and a 60-year service life. It can operate on a 12- to 24-month cycle and features safety systems such as three redundant emergency core cooling trains and a core-melt retention system. Many of its components were developed from the EPR and APWR programs, including advanced steam generators and reactor internals.

The design and safety concepts were reviewed by regulators and international bodies: Canada’s CNSC gave a positive pre-project design review in 2013; France’s ASN found the safety options satisfactory in 2012; and the IAEA completed a 2008 review of the conceptual safety features, concluding the design addressed fundamental safety principles.

ATMEA’s potential in Turkey’s Sinop Nuclear Power Plant was a notable case. In 2013, leaders signed a US$22 billion outline for four ATMEA1 reactors, with ownership split between a Japanese–French consortium and Turkey’s EUAS (50-something percent to the international consortium and 49% to Turkey, as planned). Construction was proposed to begin around 2017, with the first unit online by 2023. An environmental impact assessment was filed in 2018, and licensing depended on Turkish approvals. In 2018 Itochu withdrew, and by December 2018 the remaining Japanese consortium abandoned the project after failing to reach financing terms with the Turkish government. Construction costs had risen to about $44 billion due to post-Fukushima safety upgrades and currency fluctuations.

In sum, ATMEA aimed to offer a joint Franco-Japanese solution for new nuclear build with the ATMEA1 design, but the venture and related projects were ultimately discontinued by 2019.