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For the purposes of this, the PoD can be anytime following the discovery of fission in 1938. That can include a no/late World War II situation, or anything similar. It's more of an exploration of a larger French nuclear program.

Historically, France had a rather sophisticated nuclear program, but suffered years of lost research as a result of World War II. After the war it rapidly grew its military program, but it wasn't until after the first energy crisis in 1973 that France began the large nuclear power program it is famous for today. However, an earlier and more extensive nuclear power program could have fit into French interests. Obviously, it would have had the benefit of reducing French energy imports, especially since France lacks large coal and petroleum deposits. It would also have had the advantage of allowing France to pursue a more independent foreign policy. For a period in the Cold War, nuclear technology was a source of soft power, giving suppliers a degree of power and prestige. The first French nuclear reactors would have been ideal for export for power generation purposes, as the UNGG design was a gas cooled reactor with a concrete pressure vessel, lowering purchase costs and reducing industrial requirements. They could also have been popular among more developed nations, as together with British gas cooled designs, French reactors were considered the most advanced in the world for a period of time in 1950s, although France later adopted its own pressurized light water design.

While France may have been behind the superpowers and United Kingdom in nuclear technology due to the consequences of World War II, it caught up in a short period of time. Might France have done even better, developing its nuclear power program earlier, perhaps an even larger player in commercial nuclear power than Areva currently is?

Also, if France had somehow had an even larger program closer to that of the Soviet Union and United States, what might parallels to Project Plowshare, Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy, NS Savannah, NERVA, and NEPA have looked like?
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