Abstracts ASN Report 2019

Reactors A1 and A2 were partially decommissioned and transformed into storage facilities for their own equipment (Chinon A1 D and Chinon A2 D). These operations were authorised by the Decrees of 11 October 1982 and ו IƺƫȸɖƏȸɵ ژ ׏ חח ׏ ȸƺɀȵƺƬɎǣɮƺǼɵِ !ǝǣȇȒȇ ׏ ( ǣɀ ȵƏȸɎǣƏǼǼɵ decommissioned at present and has been set up as a museum –the Museum of the Atom– since 1986. Chinon A2 D is also partially decommissioned and houses GIE Intra (which operates robotised machines for interventions on accident- stricken nuclear installations. Complete decommissioning of the Chinon A3 reactor was authorised by the Decree of 18 May 2010, with a decom- missioning “under water” scenario. In March 2016, 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” and the Chinon A2 reactor pressure vessel would be decommissioned first. This new strategy has been examined by ASN (see chapter 13). ASN considers that the level of safety of the Chinon nuclear installations undergoing decommissioning (Chinon A1, A2 and A3) is satisfactory. The inspections conducted in 2019 revealed in particular that EDF’s monitoring of outside contractors is well managed. Decommissioning of the heat exchangers in the South hall of Chinon A3 ended in June 2018, with the removal of all the heat exchangers. Despite the measures taken as a result of experience feedback from the operations in the South hall, decommissioning of the heat exchangers in the North hall was interrupted due to the presence of asbestos. Restarting these operations in 2020 is under consideration. THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE FACILITIES XȇɎƺȸ «ٮ ƺǕǣȒȇƏǼ ǔȸƺɀǝ IɖƺǼ áƏȸƺǝȒɖɀƺ Commissioned in 1978, the Chinon Inter-Regional Fuel Warehouse (MIR) is a facility for storing fresh fuel assemblies pending their utilisation in the EDF reactors. It constitutes zX חחژ ً ƏȇƳ ƏǼȒȇǕ ɯǣɎǝ Ɏǝƺ ɖǕƺɵ xX«ً ǣɎ ƬȒȇɎȸǣƫɖɎƺɀ ɎȒ the management of flows of fuel assembly supplies for the reactors. The facility was emptied of all the fuel assemblies in early 2018 to allow the replacement of the handling crane in 2019. ASN considers that the work went well and during an inspection it noted the good upkeep of the premises. Nominal operation shall resume in early 2002 with the restarting of reception of fuel assemblies with updated baseline requirements, authorised by ASN. RESEARCH FACILITIES UNDERGOING DECOMMISSIONING XȸȸƏƳǣƏɎƺƳ ȅƏɎƺȸǣƏǼɀ ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎɵ The AMI, which was declared and commissioned in 1964, is situated on the Chinon nuclear site and operated by EDF. Áǝǣɀ ǔƏƬǣǼǣɎɵ ٢ zX גחژ ٣ ǝƏɀ ɀɎȒȵȵƺƳ ȒȵƺȸƏɎǣȇǕ ƏȇƳ ǣɀ ɯƏǣɎǣȇǕ to undergo decommissioning. It was intended essentially for performing examinations and expert assessments on activated or contaminated materials from pressurised water reactors. The analysis and expert assessment activities were entirely transferred in 2015 to a new facility on the site, the Lidec (Ceidre Integrated Laboratory). With a view to decommissioning the facility, the activities in the AMI are now essentially decommissioning preparation and monitoring operations. The year 2019 was chiefly marked by the continuation of the treatment and removal of legacy waste and various unused equipment items, along with standard operating and monitoring operations and preparation for the future decommissioning activities. ASN continued its examination of the decommissioning file and issued its opinion on the draft decommissioning decree in early 2020. ASN considers that the management of the waste treatment operations, the performance of the periodic checks and tests and the monitoring of pressure equipment are satisfactory. Particular attention must be paid to the measures for controlling the fire risk. Shortcomings have been observed in the application of the operating rules and particular attention is required in the implementation of measures to prevent their recurrence. In a context where the facility’s activities involve numerous specific work projects, ASN will be attentive to the manage- ment of the facility developments and the announced schedules. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2019 49 REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION !0zÁ«0 ٳ à n (0 n…X«0