∙ The safety reassessment of these reactors and the resulting improvements must be carried out in the light of the safety objectives of the new-generation reactors, such as the EPR, the design of which meets significantly reinforced safety requirements. The modifications associated with this periodic safety review will incorporate those linked to deployment of the “hardened safety core”. 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 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 IRSN, ASN finalised its examination of the generic studies linked to this review. At the beginning of 2021, ASN issued a position statement on the conditions for continued operation of the reactors. ASN considered that the measures prescribed by itself, combined with those planned by EDF open the prospect of continued operation of these reactors for the ten years following their fourth periodic safety review. Deployment of the periodic safety review on the site EDF carried out the first of the fourth ten-yearly outages in 2019 (Tricastin NPP reactor 1). At the end of 2022, EDF had carried out or initiated eleven of these ten-yearly outages. These outages are a major step in the fourth periodic safety reviews. During these outages, EDF carries out the required inspections and deploys most of the safety improvements associated with the review. 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 is then held, reactor by reactor, after submission of the periodic safety review concluding report for each reactor. The public inquiry on Tricastin NPP reactor 1 took place at the beginning of 2022. The conclusions of this inquiry were taken into account by ASN, which asked EDF to improve the presentation of its dossier for the public inquiries for the next reactors. 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. On this occasion, ASN underlined the importance of the modifications made by EDF following their third periodic safety review. Within the framework of this review, EDF is notably deploying material and operational modifications in order to mitigate the consequences of an SG tube break accident, to prevent the occurrence of severe accidents with early loss of containment, and to reduce the risk of uncovering the fuel assemblies present in the spent fuel pool. With regard to hazards, EDF is modifying its installations in order to guarantee operation of the equipment needed for the safety of these reactors in the event of a heatwave, to protect the equipment important for safety against projectiles created by strong winds and to prevent the risks of explosion further to an earthquake. To help conclude the generic phase of this review, ASN issued additional requests in 2021 applicable to all the 1,300 MWe reactors, with the aim of reinforcing their safety. The third ten-yearly outages for the 1,300 MWe reactors will run until 2024. The fourth periodic safety review In July 2017, EDF presented a file giving the approaches 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 involvement of the public and consultation of the GPR on 22 May 2019. ASN considers that the general objectives set by EDF for this review are acceptable in principle. They aim more specifically to avoid the need to implement population protection measures for design-basis accidents, and in the case of severe accidents, to try to have population protection measures that are limited in space and time. With regard to the safety of the spent fuel pool, ASN asked EDF to set an objective of no uncovering of the assemblies and to eventually return the installation to and permanently maintain it in a state without pool water boiling. In 2022, ASN continued with the examinations performed for the generic phase of this periodic safety review. Its examinations have focused in particular on the methods that will be used in this review to analyse certain accidents and to assess the hazard robustness of the installations. EDF has also continued the studies needed to update the regulation reference files for the main primary and secondary systems; this update is particular in that the design hypotheses were initially produced for 40 years of operation. EDF will begin the first ten-yearly outage associated with this periodic safety review at the end of 2025. The 1,450 MWe reactors The second periodic safety review In 2011, EDF transmitted the envisaged guidelines for the generic study programme for the second periodic safety review of the 1,450 MWe reactors, notably concerning the prevention of core melt and mitigation of the consequences of severe accidents. ASN issued a position statement in February 2015 regarding the orientations of this second periodic safety review. It in particular asked EDF to look for measures to mitigate the radiological consequences of design-basis accidents and measures with a strong impact in terms of preventing and mitigating the consequences of severe accidents. ASN issued a position statement in 2022 on this generic phase. It underlined the significant safety improvements made to the reactors on the occasion of this periodic safety review. Chooz NPP reactors B1 and B2 carried out their second tenyearly outages in 2019 and 2020. As at the end of 2022, the tenyearly outages for the Civaux NPP reactors 1 and 2 are ongoing. The third periodic safety review In 2022, EDF transmitted the envisaged guidelines for the generic phase study programme for the third periodic safety review of the 1,450 MWe reactors. In 2023, ASN will issue a position statement on these guidelines, following consultation of the GPR. The ASN position statement will also be submitted to the public for consultation. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2022 311 • 10 • The EDF Nuclear Power Plants 10 01 07 08 13 AP 04 06 12 14 03 09 05 11 02
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