ASN Report 2020

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 PWRs of 900MWe 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 has improved and is on the whole in line with its general assessment of the EDF plants in the areas of nuclear safety, radiation protection and environmental protection. The impact of the health crisis associated with the Covid‑19 pandemic was managed satisfactorily by the NPP and the planned nuclear safety measures were maintained. ASN considers that the nuclear safety performance of the Cruas-Meysse NPP is in line with ASN’s general assessment of EDF plant performance. ASN notes that the site has improved its compliance with operating technical specif ications and prevention of reactor trips. Nevertheless, in 2020 ASN observed shortcomings in compliance with the authorised reactor operating ranges. With regard to maintenance and work associated with the reactor outages, ASN considers that, despite the health crisis, the Cruas‑Meysse NPP on the whole adequately managed the planned schedule and quality of the activities. In the area of radiation protection, ASN considers that the performance of the Cruas-Meysse NPP is in line with its general assessment of the EDF plants, and maintains the assessment it made in 2019. Shortcomings nevertheless persist in the radiological cleanliness of the facilities and control of the contamination risk during reactor outage periods. As far as environmental protection is concerned, ASN considers that the performance of the Cruas‑Meysse NPP is also in line with the general assessment of the EDF plants and improving with respect to the preceding years. The improvement actions implemented to meet the regulatory requirements are bearing fruit. Lastly, waste management has been improved, even though ASN still notes a lack of rigour in operational application of the new organisation put in place to manage waste on storage areas and to prepare for its shipment. The site’s results in occupational health and safety are satisfactory. With regard to worker protection in response to the health crisis, ASN noted that as of March 2020 the site had put in place appropriate protection measures, which it adapted as knowledge progressed. The ASN inspections conf irmed compliance with the commitments made by the site, leading to an improvement in the prevention of vital risks. The vigilance and efforts must nevertheless be maintained regarding risks relating to the use of chemical products and to lifting activities. TRICASTIN SITE The Tricastin nuclear site, situated in the Drôme and Vaucluse département s, is a vast industrial site accommo- dating the largest concentration of nuclear and chemical facilities in France. It is situated on the right bank of the Donzère‑Mondragon Canal (a diversion channel of the river Rhône) between Valence and Avignon. It occupies a sur- face area of 800 hectares spanning three municipalities, namely Saint‑Paul‑Trois‑Châteaux and Pierrelatte in the Drôme département , and Bollène in the Vaucluse départe- ment . The site harbours a large number of installations, with one NPP comprising four 900MWe reactors, “nuclear fuel cycle” facilities, and lastly the Operational Hot Unit (BCOT) which fulfilled maintenance and storage functions. Tricastin nuclear power plant The Tricastin NPP comprises four 900 MWe pressurised water reactors: reactors 1 and 2 were commissioned in 1980 and constitute BNI 87, while reactors 3 and 4, commissioned in 1981, constitute BNI 88. ASN considers that the overall performance of the Tricastin NPP with regard to nuclear safety, radiation protection and environmental protection is in line with ASN’s general assessment of EDF plant performance. The NPP has satisfactorily managed the impact of the sanitary crisis due to the Covid‑19 pandemic, particularly with regard to monitoring and operation of the facilities, maintaining the emergency organisation and waste management. ASN considers that the nuclear safety performance of the NPP remains contrasted, despite being in line with the general assessment of the EDF plants. The weaknesses observed in 2019 concerning compliance with the operating technical specif ications, the implementation of error-reduction practices and the configuring of the systems persisted in 2020. Furthermore, difficulties were observed in the performance of the periodic tests. On the other hand, ASN notes improvements in the control of fire risks and the integrity of the first barrier made up by the fuel assembly cladding, despite one notable foreign-object related event when a screw was found in the reactor 4 pressure vessel during its refuelling. Regarding maintenance, the 4 reactors of the Tricastin NPP were shut down in 2020 for scheduled maintenance and partial refuelling. In the context of the health crisis, ASN considers that further progress is necessary in 2021 in the control of outages for scheduled maintenance and partial refuelling, with improvements required in particular in the management of conformity deviations, the scheduling and preparation of maintenance activities and quality assurance. With regard to radiation protection, ASN considers that the NPP’s performance is in line with the general assessment of the EDF plants and has improved with respect to 2019. Control of subcontracted activities in the area of radiation ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 43 REGIONAL OVERVIEWOF NUCLEAR SAFETY AND RADIATION PROTECTION AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES