ASN Report 2015

The term decommissioning covers

all the activities performed after

shutdown of a nuclear facility, in

order to attain a final condition

in which all the dangerous and

radioactive substances have been

removed. In 2015, about thirty

nuclear facilities of all types

were shut down or undergoing

decommissioning in France.

Doctrine and regulations

In 2015, the principle of immediate

dismantling (anticipated as of the

design stage, initiated at shutdown of

the installation, with the dismantling

operations potentially taking a

very long time) was enshrined

in the TECV Act. This Act also

renovates the decommissioning

procedure by making a clearer

distinction than before between

final shutdown of the facility and

its decommissioning. ASN is pleased

to see the progress made on these

points. For preparation of the texts

required by the Act, ASN issued an

opinion on 28th January 2016 on the

draft decree updating the procedures

surrounding final shutdown and

decommissioning of BNIs.

In 2015, ASN also continued to

update Guide No. 14 concerning

clean-out of structures and Guide

No. 6 on final shutdown and

decommissioning of BNIs. Finally,

ASN produced a draft guide on

the management of contaminated

soils in nuclear installations.

These three guides will be opened

for consultation with a view to

publication in 2016.

Facilities

2015wasmarkedby two installation

delicensing operations: the Siloé

reactor inGrenoble, mainly used for

technological irradiationof structural

materials and nuclear fuels, in the

resolution of 9th January 2015,

and the Electromagnetic Radiation

Laboratory (LURE) in Orsay, a

powerful X-ray production research

facility operated by the National

Centre for Scientific Research, in

the resolutionof 27thOctober 2015.

Concerning the installations operated

by EDF, ASN issued an authorisation

inDecember 2015 for the beginning

of operations to reprocess the residual

sodium in the main vessel of the

Superphenix reactor. Dismantling

of the Chinon A3 heat exchangers

continued. The preparatorywork for

dismantling of the Chooz A reactor

vessel continued. Examinationof the

safetyof the installations, examination

of the dismantling strategy and the

management of EDF waste and

Andra’s report on the technical

feasibility of Low Level, Long-Lived

waste (LLW-LL) disposal began

in 2015. Finally, after observing

shortcomings in the preparation for

thework and the risk assessments by

the BrennilisNPP, ASNaskedEDF to

revisealltheorganisationalandhuman

provisions concerned formanagement

of the risks linked to hot spot work

on the decommissioning worksites.

With regard to CEA’s installations,

ASNandASNDobserved significant

delays in the performance of the

decommissioning operations and the

recoveryandpackagingoflegacywaste,

with significant increases in the times

envisaged for these operations and

considerabledelaysinthetransmission

of the decommissioning files. ASN

and ASND asked CEA to present a

newdecommissioning strategy for all

the BNIs and individual installations

located within defence BNIs.

In connectionwith its examinationof

the decommissioning authorisation

application for thePhenixreactor,ASN

issuedaresolutionon8thJanuary2015

setting the requirements applicable

to the reactor’s “hardened safety core”

and the management of emergency

situations. In 2015, the preparation

work for the decommissioning of the

Phenix plant continued. ASNsent its

conclusions following the technical

examination and the consultations

with the Minister responsible for

nuclear safety and issued its opinion

on 22nd December 2015.

The legacy waste Recovery and

Packaging Project (RCD) currently

under way in the HAO silo and the

organised disposal of hulls, which

represent the first hold point in

decommissioning of the spent fuel

reprocessing plant operated by

Areva NC at La Hague, continued.

ASN authorised Areva NC to build

the recovery and packaging unit

in a resolution dated 10th June

2014. The civil engineering work

for the construction of the recovery

and packaging unit authorised by

the resolution of 10th June 2014

continued in 2015.

Outlook

ASN’s main actions in 2016 will

concern the continueddevelopment

of the regulatory framework for

decommissioning and the close

monitoring of certain installations:

•

assist the Ministry for the

Environment with completion of

the modifications to the Decree

of 2nd November 2007 following

the TECVAct ondecommissioning

reform;

Safe decommissioning

of basic nuclear installations

ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN 2015