Abstracts ASN Report 2019

BUGEY SITE The Bugey industrial site comprises various facilities, including the Bugey NPP operated by EDF on the municipality of Saint-Vulbas in the Ain département ً ژדב Ǹȅ east of Lyon. It comprises four Pressurised Water Reactors ٢¨á«٣ً ƺƏƬǝ Ȓǔ ח ׎׎ ژ xáƺً ƬȒȅȅǣɀɀǣȒȇƺƳ ǣȇ ׏ ژזוח ƏȇƳ ׏ חוח ِ «ƺƏƬɎȒȸɀ ژא ƏȇƳ בژ ƬȒȇɀɎǣɎɖɎƺ zX ژזוژ ƏȇƳ ȸƺƏƬɎȒȸɀ גژ ƏȇƳ דژ ƬȒȇɀɎǣɎɖɎƺ zX חזژ ِ The site also accommodates Bugey 1, a graphite-moderated Gas-Cooled Reactor (GCR) commissioned in 1972, shut down ǣȇ ׏ ژגחח ƏȇƳ ƬɖȸȸƺȇɎǼɵ ɖȇƳƺȸǕȒǣȇǕ ƳƺƬȒȅȅǣɀɀǣȒȇǣȇǕً ƏȇƳ the Activated waste packaging and interim storage facility (Iceda) and the Inter-Regional Warehouse (MIR) for fuel storage. Lastly, the site accommodates one of the regional bases of the Nuclear Rapid Action Force (FARN), the special nuclear ȸƏȵǣƳ ǣȇɎƺȸɮƺȇɎǣȒȇ ǔȒȸƬƺ ƬȸƺƏɎƺƳ ƫɵ 0(I ǣȇ א ׎׏׏ ژ ǔɖȸɎǝƺȸ ɎȒ the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident in Japan. Its role is to intervene in pre-accident or accident situations, on any Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in France, by providing additional human resources and emergency equipment. ɖǕƺɵ ȇɖƬǼƺƏȸ ȵȒɯƺȸ ȵǼƏȇɎ «ƺƏƬɎȒȸɀ א ً ב ً ژג ƏȇƳ ژד ǣȇ ȒȵƺȸƏɎǣȒȇ ASN considers that the performance of the Bugey NPP with regard to nuclear safety, radiation protection and environmental protection is in line with the general assessment of EDF plant performance. The NPP maintains a high level of proficiency in its operating and maintenance activities. ASN has nevertheless noted weaknesses in the area of environmental protection. With regard to nuclear safety, the results obtained by the ɖǕƺɵ z¨¨ ǣȇ א ׎׏ ژח ȅɖɀɎ ƫƺ ǣȅȵȸȒɮƺƳً ȵƏȸɎǣƬɖǼƏȸǼɵ ȸƺǕƏȸƳǣȇǕ reactor management and the performance of periodic tests. There was also an increase in the number of reactor trips. The licensee must remain vigilant in its preparation and performance of operational control operations further to unforeseen events. Lastly, ASN noted shortcomings in the identification and handling of deviations. With regard to environmental protection, ASN considers that the performance of the Bugey NPP, while remaining within the average for the plants operated by EDF, reveals some disparities. ASN notes a persistent weakness in the prevention of risks of leaks from buried structures (pipes and conduits) carrying radioactive and chemical fluids. ASN moreover considers that the modifications of equipment linked to environmental protection must be analysed and monitored with the same rigour as equipment associated with nuclear safety. With regard to radiation protection, ASN notes that the dosimetric results were satisfactory. With regard to occupational safety, despite the mobilisation of the risk prevention officers with regard to the vital risks, accidents or noteworthy near-accidents occurred in 2019, underlining the site’s weaknesses, particularly regarding compliance with rules for personal protective equipment against electrical risks, compliance work on lifting equipment and on the boric acid handling stations. Although the accident indicator figures are improving, EDF must nevertheless continue the efforts requested by ASN in the application of worksite safety rules, in the context of the fourth ten-yearly outages. «ƺƏƬɎȒȸ ׏ ژ ɖȇƳƺȸǕȒǣȇǕ ƳƺƬȒȅȅǣɀɀǣȒȇǣȇǕ ɖǕƺɵ ׏ ژ ǣɀ Ə ǕȸƏȵǝǣɎƺ ٮ ȅȒƳƺȸƏɎƺƳ ǕƏɀ ٮ ƬȒȒǼƺƳ ȸƺƏƬɎȒȸِ Áǝǣɀ ǔǣȸɀɎ ٮ generation reactor functioned with natural uranium as the fuel, graphite as the moderator and it was cooled by gas. The ɖǕƺɵ ׏ ژ ȸƺƏƬɎȒȸ ǣɀ Əȇ ٹ ǣȇɎƺǕȸƏɎƺƳ ٺ ǕƏɀ ٮ ƬȒȒǼƺƳ ȸƺƏƬɎȒȸً ɯǝȒɀƺ heat exchangers are situated inside the reactor vessel beneath the reactor core. In March 2016, in view of the technical difficulties encountered, EDF announced a complete change of decommissioning strategy for its definitively shut down reactors. In this new strategy, the planned decommissioning scenario for all the reactor pressure vessels involves decommissioning “in air” rather than “under water” as initially envisaged. ³z ƬȒȇɀǣƳƺȸɀ ɎǝƏɎ Ɏǝƺ ɖǕƺɵ ׏ ژ ȸƺƏƬɎȒȸ ƳƺƬȒȅȅǣɀɀǣȒȇǣȇǕ and vessel characterisation operations are proceeding with a satisfactory level of safety. The licensee ensures rigorous monitoring of the equipment and the ongoing decommissioning works. ƬɎǣɮƏɎƺƳ ɯƏɀɎƺ ȵƏƬǸƏǕǣȇǕ ƏȇƳ ǣȇɎƺȸǣȅ ɀɎȒȸƏǕƺ ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎɵ ٢XƬƺƳƏ٣ Áǝƺ XƬƺƳƏ ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎɵً ƏɖɎǝȒȸǣɀƺƳ ƫɵ (ƺƬȸƺƺ א ׎׏׎ גٮ ׎ ژא Ȓǔ ژבא ȵȸǣǼ א ׎׏׎ً is operated by EDF. It is currently in a test phase and its function will be to process and store activated waste fromoperation 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 of people and the environment, the production quality file, the start-up tests, waste management and the operating documents. EDF submitted its reply to ASN’s requests at the end of 2018. The last finishingwork and the pre-commissioning tests continued in 2019. The organisation implemented by EDF, the temporary grouping of companies to set up the equipment, and themonitoring of the tests in the facilities are ensuredwith rigour. The inspectors noted the good overall upkeep of theworksite. ASNnevertheless observed, as in 2018, that the test programme was significantly behind schedule. EDF now envisages commissioning the facility in 2020. ASN hasmoreover continued its examination of the application file for approval of the packaging of intermediate-level long- livedwaste (ILW-LL) in packages in the Iceda facility, submitted 34 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION Èà0«Jz0 «ٳ Rˆz0 ٳ n¨0³