ASN Report 2018

AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION Activated waste packaging and interim storage facility (Iceda) The Iceda facility, authorised by Decree 2010‑402 of 23 April 2010, is operated by EDF. It is currently in a test phase and its function will be to process and store activated waste from operation of the nuclear fleet in service and from decommissioning of the first-generation reactors and the Creys-Malville NPP. The Iceda commissioning authorisation application file was submitted to ASN in July 2016. In its examination of this file, ASN asked for additional technical information relative to the safety case, the defining of the items and activities important to protection, the production quality file, the start-up tests, waste management and the operating documents. EDF submitted its response to ASN’s requests at the end of 2018. The last finishing operations and the pre-commissioning tests were continued in 2018. The organisation implemented by EDF, the temporary grouping of companies to set up the equipment, and the monitoring of the tests in the facilities are ensured with rigour. The inspectors noted the good overall upkeep of the work site. ASN notes that the test programme is running significantly behind schedule. EDF now envisages commissioning the facility in the second half of 2019. ASN has moreover continued its examination of the application file for approval of the packaging of Intermediate- Level Long-Lived Waste (ILW-LL) in «C1PGSP» packages in the Iceda facility, submitted by EDF in November 2015 and supplemented in May 2016 at the request of ASN. ASN has not been able to give its approval on the basis of the examination of the file as it currently stands. Further studies are necessary in order to rule on the suitability of this package for the waste it is designed to contain. EDF updated its file at the end of 2018 to integrate ASN’s requests. Inter-Regional Warehouse The Inter-Regional Warehouse (MIR – BNI 02) operated by EDF at Bugey is a storage facility for fresh nuclear fuel intended for the nuclear power plant fleet in service. The level of safety of MIR was satisfactory in 2018. The periodic safety review of the facility is in progress, as are the stress tests required by ASN in the wake of the Fukushima NPP accident. The facility has more specifically been modified to improve control of the risk of flooding. Saint-Alban/Saint‑Maurice nuclear power plant The Saint Alban/Saint Maurice NPP operated by EDF in the Isère département on the municipalities of Saint‑Alban‑du‑Rhône and Saint‑Maurice‑l’Exil, 40 km south of Lyon, comprises two 1,300 MWe pressurised water reactors commissioned in 1986 and 1987. Reactor 1 constitutes BNI 119 and reactor 2 BNI 120. ASN considers that the radiation protection performance of the Saint-Alban/Saint-Maurice NPP stands out positively with respect to the general assessment of the EDF plants. With regard to nuclear safety and protection of the environment, the performance is in line with the general standard of the EDF plants. ASN observes that the nuclear safety results for the Saint‑Alban/Saint‑Maurice NPP in 2018 are satisfactory. ASN notes in particular that the vigilance in fighting fire outbreaks paid off in 2018 and that EDF competently managed the regular outages of reactors 1 and 2, which were affected respectively by a technical problem on the control rod clusters and constraints associated with the rise in temperature of the river Rhône. ASN nevertheless observes that EDFmust make progress in the configuring of systems. Concerning maintenance work, the third ten-yearly outage of reactor 2 went smoothly on the whole, particularly with regard to the integration of modifications. With regard to environmental protection, the organisation defined and implemented by EDF to meet the regulatory requirements concerning the monitoring of environmental discharges seems satisfactory on the whole. The site has made progress in waste management. With regard to radiation protection, ASN notes that the operational results were satisfactory. This assessment was confirmed during the tightened inspections campaign conducted in the Rhône‑Alpes region in 2018 on the theme of radiation protection. Cruas‑Meysse nuclear power plant Commissioned between 1984 and 1985 and operated by EDF, the Cruas‑Meysse NPP is situated in the Ardèche département on the municipalities of Cruas and Meysse and comprises four pressurised water reactors of 900 MWe each. Reactors 1 and 2 constitute BNI 111 and reactors 3 and 4 constitute BNI 112. ASN considers that the overall performance of the Cruas- Meysse NPP falls short of its general assessment of EDF performance. ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2018  29