A basic axiom of engineering is that the first product is always the most expensive. As designers and builders gain experience, subsequent products take less time and cost less money than the original product. The newest generation of nuclear reactors, however, is an exception to the rule.
One of the latest iterations of nuclear reactors, the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), is a prime example of how a promising design has fallen victim to realities on the ground, resulting in massive cost overruns and years-long construction delays.
Five EPRs have either been built or are being built; another one is planned. Four of the five EPRs built have suffered enormous cost overruns and/or significant construction delays. The Taishan 1 reactor in China, the first to be completed, was taken offline in July 2021 because of damaged fuel rods. Two EPRs, the Flamanville reactor in France, and the Olkiluoto 3 reactor in Finland, have been delayed because of operational concerns. The newest reactor to begin construction, the Hinkley Point C reactor in the United Kingdom, after less than four years of construction, is already one-third over its original budgeted estimate and is currently delayed at least two years.
