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Paluel reactor 2 is the first 1,300 MWe reactor to undergo
a third ten-yearly outage inspection, which started in
2015.
The reactors of the 1,450MWe plant series
The periodic safety review associated
with the first ten-yearly outage inspections
The generic studies and modifications associated with
the first periodic safety reviews of the 1,450 MWe
reactors were the subject of an ASN position statement
in 2012, which in particular requested additional work
by EDF to demonstrate the adequacy either of the
studies conducted, or of the modifications made to
the installations during their first ten-yearly outage
inspection, in order to comply in full with the objectives
set in the periodic safety review.
The first ten-yearly outage inspections took place
between 2009 and 2012.
EDF’s answers and the periodic safety review conclusions
reports for the four 1,450 MWe reactors are currently
being assessed and ASN intends to issue its position
statement on their continued operation to the Minister
in charge of Nuclear Safety in 2016.
The periodic safety review associated
with the second ten-yearly outage inspections
In 2011, EDF transmitted its orientation proposals
for the generic studies programme for the periodic
safety review associated with the second ten-yearly
outage inspections of the 1,450 MWe reactors. After
consulting the GPR in 2012, EDF supplemented its
generic studies programme with a number of measures
and clarified some of its proposals. In February 2015,
ASN ruled on the orientations of the periodic safety
review associated with the second ten-yearly outage
inspections of the 1,450 MWe reactors. ASN more
specifically considers that the safety objectives to be
considered for the VD2 N4 safety review must be
defined in the light of the objectives applicable to the
new reactors and asked EDF to study the measures
liable to comply with this requirement as rapidly as
possible, so that they can be implemented as of the
second ten-yearly outage inspections on the reactors
of the N4 plant series.
The second ten-yearly outage inspections for the
1,450 MWe plant series reactors are scheduled to
start in 2018 with the Chooz B2 reactor and will run
until 2022.
3.3 Monitoring of the EPR
Flamanville 3 reactor
Oversight of the Flamanville 3 engineering activities
In 2015, ASN carried out three inspections in the EDF
engineering departments responsible for the detailed
design studies for Flamanville 3, for drafting the
partial commissioning authorisation application files
for Flamanville 3, for defining the start-up tests to be
performed or for monitoring manufacturing operations
at the suppliers.
Examination of the commissioning
authorisation application and
the partial commissioning authorisation
application for Flamanville 3
On 19th March 2015, ASN received the commissioning
authorisation application for Flamanville 3. With IRSN,
its technical support organisation, ASN carried out a
preliminary review of this application to check that it
contains all the documents required by the regulations
and the necessary information to allow a full technical
examination. Following this preliminary examination,
ASN confirmed that all the documents required by the
regulations were indeed present, but it considered that
additional information was needed to enable ASN to
rule on a possible commissioning authorisation for
Flamanville 3. The additional information requested
in particular concerns the conformity of the as-built
installation with the file submitted, the dimensioning
of the systems and the accident studies.
ASN did however begin a technical examination of
the file on those subjects for which only very little
data was still missing. Some subjects, such as the
substantiation of the critical heat flux correlation, gave
rise to requests from ASN. Two GPR meetings were
thus devoted to Flamanville 3 in 2015: one covering
technical, organisational and human resources, defined
for reactor normal operating conditions and accident
operating conditions; the other covering the management
of severe accidents, their radiological consequences
and the level 2 probabilistic safety assessments. ASN
will shortly be issuing its requests resulting from these
meetings.
Furthermore, on 19th March 2015, ASN received
the partial commissioning authorisation application
for Flamanville 3, needed to admit fuel within the
perimeter of the facility and carry out certain tests.
ASN carried out a preliminary examination of this file,
which concluded that a certain amount of additional
information was required, more specifically to assess
the risks and detrimental effects which could result
from tests using radioactive tracer gases to verify the
correct operation of certain effluent treatment systems.
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CHAPTER 12:
EDF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (NPPs)
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015