Flamanville 3 EPR reactor construction worksite Following issuing of the Creation Authorisation Decree 2007‑534 of 10 April 2007 and the building permit, the Flamanville 3 EPR reactor has been under construction since September 2007. Overall, ASN notes that a substantial amount of work remains to be done in 2023 in preparation for reactor commissioning. In effect, apart from the actions relating to the examination of the commissioning file, which are continuing, EDF will have to check completion of the installation in order to demonstrate its conformity and the adequacy of preparation for reactor operation. In 2022, EDF continued with work to complete the installation, to make modifications to certain equipment and to draw up the various documents needed for operation. EDF also continued the analysis and correction of deviations, particularly those affecting the welds of the Main Secondary Systems (MSS), three branch pipes of the Main Primary System (MPS), and the shrinkage of adhesive causing clogging of the filters of the safety injection system in the rooms concerned. ASN considers, on the basis of its inspections, that EDF is addressing these deviations appropriately. For the MSS welds in particular, ASN considers that the various parties involved have set up an organisation and a system for monitoring the activities conducive to achieving, with confidence, a high standard of quality in the production of these welds, thereby making it possible to meet the break preclusion baseline requirements. In 2023, ASN will continue its oversight of these activities and of the due preparation and performance of the hydrostatic tests of these systems. Numerous systems, structures and components have been shut down for the work on the MSS’s. After reviewing the preservation doctrine defined by EDF, ASN conducted several inspections in 2021 and 2022 to check its implementation, which turns out to be satisfactory on the whole. EDF must remain attentive to the preservation exit phase and to the implementation of appropriate means for the period between preservation exit and reactor commissioning. Apart from the main deviations mentioned above and currently being corrected, ASN observed in 2022 that a lot of work remained to be done to to finalise the fitting out of the installations (such as addressing the other deviations, performing certain start-up tests, making several equipment modifications and the finishing work). In this respect, ASN has asked EDF to submit periodic progress reports on installation completion and has initiated a verification campaign. ASN has noted that EDF has set up a dedicated organisation and taken appropriate corrective action in response to its demands. ASN nevertheless drew EDF’s attention to the fact that a large amount of work remained to be carried out prior to reactor commissioning in order to demonstrate conformity of the installation with the commissioning file. Alongside this, ASN continued the verification of the equipment quality review which was requested in 2018 due to the serious shortcomings observed in EDF’s monitoring of its outside contractors. ASN ascertained in 2022 that a programme of complementary verifications was established and implemented, and will examine the results of these actions and the main conclusions EDF draws from them. Alongside the completion of the facility, EDF is preparing for future operation of the reactor with dedicated teams, whether in terms of defining and implementing organisational set-ups, skills management, or the preparation and familiarisation with the documents and equipment necessary for operation. ASN’s oversight has confirmed the defining and implementation of the organisational set-ups on the various themes, but it has also highlighted the substantial amount of work still to be carried out prior to reactor commissioning. ASN will continue its oversight in this respect in 2023 through dedicated inspections, including an in-depth inspection. ASN also ensures the labour inspection duties on the Flamanville EPR reactor construction site. In 2022, in addition to checking that the contractors working on the site complied with the provisions concerning labour law, ASN checked the conformity of the facilities regarding evacuation and fire risks. ASN considers that the organisation of safety is on the whole appropriate with respect to the regulations and shall allow satisfactory transfer of the facilities to the future licensee. Manche waste repository The Manche waste repository (CSM), commissioned in 1969, was the first radioactive waste disposal centre operated in France. 527,225 m3 of waste packages are emplaced in it. The last waste packages to enter this facility were accepted in July 1994. From the regulatory aspect, the CSM is in the decommissioning phase (operations prior to its closure) until the installation of the long-term cover is completed. An ASN resolution shall specify the date of closure of the repository (entry into monitoring and surveillance phase) and the minimum duration of the monitoring and surveillance phase. Examination of the periodic safety review guidance file had resulted in ASN formulating specific demands at the end of 2017, concerning the justification of the technical principles of deployment of the long-term cover, the CSM memory system and the updating of the impact study. In this context, ASN is currently examining the CSM periodic safety review report submitted by Andra in 2019. The periodic safety review inspection found that the licensee had conducted the review process in a generally satisfactory manner. Nevertheless, some points require particular attention, namely the replacement of the geomembrane in the event of loss of integrity, formalising of the licensee’s in-house check and the action plan (updating and level of detail). A meeting of the Advisory Committee for Waste (GPD) pertaining to the CMS periodic safety review was held on 1 February 2022 and underlined that the licensee’s commitments enable continued operation to be envisaged for ten years following submission of the file. 74 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2022 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection • NORMANDIE •
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NjQ0NzU=