ASN Report 2020

ASN’s position statement on the generic phase of the periodic safety review In 2013, EDF sent ASN its proposed objectives for this periodic safety review, in other words, the level of safety to be achieved for continued operation of the reactors. After examining the objectives proposed by EDF, with the support of the IRSN, and following consultation of its Advisory Committees, ASN released a position statement on these objectives and issued additional requests in April 2016. EDF supplemented its programme of work and in 2018 presented ASN with the measures it envisages taking in response to these requests. In 2020, with the support of the IRSN, ASN finalised its examination of the generic studies linked to this review. In 2018 and 2019, ASN more particularly obtained the opinion of its Advisory Committees on: ∙ the management of ageing and obsolescence; ∙ the mechanical strength of the reactor pressure vessels (see point 2.2.4); ∙ NPE; ∙ the accident studies in the safety case; ∙ the ability of the installations to withstand internal and external hazards; ∙ the probabilistic safety assessments; ∙ the management of accidents with core melt. It again asked for their opinion in 2020 with regard to the mechanical strength of the reactor vessels core zone and the results of the generic phase of this periodic safety review. At the beginning of 2021, ASN issued a position statement on the conditions for continued operation of the reactors (see Notable events). 2020: submission of the concluding report on the periodic safety review of the first reactor Tricastin NPP reactor 1 and Bugey reactor 2 underwent their fourth ten yearly outages in 2019 and 2020 respectively. These outages were a major step in their fourth periodic safety reviews. During these outages, EDF carried out a significant part of the required inspections and deployed most of the safety improvements associated with the review. ASN will issue a position statement on the continued operation of Tricastin NPP reactor 1 in 2022, after its position statement on the generic studies and its examination of the periodic safety review concluding report for this reactor, submitted by EDF in February 2020. Involving the public at each step For the purposes of this periodic safety review, ASN has been involving the public since 2016 in the drafting of its position statement regarding the objectives proposed by EDF. This approach continued in 2018, under the aegis of the High Committee for Transparency and Information on Nuclear Safety (HCTISN), in the form of a consultation on the measures planned by EDF to meet these objectives. At the end of 2020, ASN also consulted the public on its draft resolution specifying the conditions for continued operation of these reactors. Pursuant to the law, a public inquiry will then be held, reactor by reactor, after submission of the periodic safety review concluding report for each reactor. The 1,300 MWe reactors The third periodic safety review At the beginning of 2015, ASN issued a position statement on the generic aspects of the continued operation of the 1,300 MWe reactors beyond 30 years of operation. ASN considers that the steps taken or planned by EDF to assess the state of its 1,300 MWe reactors and manage their ageing up to the fourth periodic safety review are acceptable. ASN also considers that the modifications identified by EDF following this study phase will help to significantly improve the safety of these installations. These improvements in particular concern reinforcing protection of the facilities against hazards, reducing releases of radioactive substances in the event of an accident, with or without core melt, and preventing the risk of uncovering of the fuel assemblies stored in the spent fuel pit or during handling. To help conclude the generic phase of this review, ASN intends to issue additional requests in 2021 applicable to all the 1,300 MWe reactors, with the aim of reinforcing their safety. The reactors of the NPPs at Flamanville, Saint-Alban, Paluel, Belleville-sur-Loire, Nogent-sur-Seine, as well as the Cattenom NPP reactors 1 and 2, carried out their third ten-yearly outages between 2015 and 2020. The third ten-yearly outages on the other 1,300 MWe reactors will take place up until 2024. The fourth periodic safety review In July 2017, EDF presented a file giving the orientations envisaged for the generic phase of the fourth periodic safety review of the 1,300 MWe reactors. In 2019, ASN issued a position statement on these orientations, after consultation of the GPR on 22 May 2019. ASN considers that the general objectives set by EDF for this review are acceptable in principle. However, following on from its requests regarding the fourth periodic safety review of the 900 MWe reactors, ASN asks EDF to modify or supplement these general objectives for this safety review, to consider certain baseline requirements for reassessment of the safety of its facilities and to add study topics to its review programme. In 2020, ASN initiated the first expert assessments for the generic phase of this periodic safety review. They more specifically concerned the methods to be used during this review for the study of certain accidents. EDF will carry out the first ten-yearly outage associated with this periodic safety review in 2026. The 1,450 MWe reactors The second periodic safety review In 2011, EDF transmitted its proposed orientations for the generic study programme of the second periodic safety review for 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. ASN issued a position statement in February 2015 on the guidelines for this second periodic safety review and considered that the safety objectives to be adopted for the second periodic safety review of the 1,450MWe reactors should be defined in the light of the objectives applicable to the new nuclear power reactors and asked EDF to study measures liable to meet this requirement as rapidly as possible, with the aim of implementing them as of the second periodic safety reviews of the 1,450 MWe reactors. The examination of the generic phase of this periodic safety review should be concluded in 2021 and ASN aims to issue a position statement on this generic phase at the end of 2021. Chooz NPP reactors B1 and B2 carried out their second ten- yearly outages in 2019 and 2020. The ten-yearly outages for the two Civaux reactors will be completed in 2022. Ageing management With a view to continued operation beyond the fourth periodic safety review of the 900MWe nuclear power reactors, EDF intends to continue to use the ageing management approach applied since the third periodic safety review of its reactors, while reinforcing its equipment renovation and replacement projects. Ageing management, in particular for non-replaceable items, such as 314 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 10 – THE EDF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS