MARCOULE PLATFORM The Marcoule nuclear platform is situated to the west of Orange in the Gard département. Its six civil installations are dedicated to research activities relating to the downstream part of the “fuel cycle” and the irradiation of materials, and to industrial activities concerning in particular the fabrication of MOX fuel, the processing of radioactive waste and the irradiation of materials. The majority of the site moreover consists of the Defence Basic Nuclear Installation (DBNI) under the oversight of the Ministry of Defence. CEA MARCOULE CENTRE Created in 1955, the CEA Marcoule centre accommodates three civil installations: the Atalante laboratories (BNI 148), the Phénix NPP (BNI 71) and the Diadem storage facility (BNI 177). Atalante facility – CEA centre The main purpose of the Alpha facilities and laboratories for transuranium elements analysis and reprocessing studies (“Atalante” – BNI 148), created in the 1980’s, is to conduct research and development in the recycling of nuclear fuels, the management of ultimate waste, and the exploration of new concepts for fourth generation nuclear systems. In order to extend these research activities, activities and equipment from Laboratory for research and fabrication of advanced nuclear fuels (Lefca), were transferred here from the CEA Cadarache centre in 2017. On completion of the analysis of the facility’s periodic safety review report submitted in December 2016, ASN published resolution 2022-DC-0720 of 19 April 2022 which sets the CEA requirements applicable to Atalante, intended to regulate the continued operation of the BNI. More specifically, the frequency of treatment of Radioactive Organic Liquids (LOR) by the “DELOS” process, for which the final date has been prescribed, shall form the subject of specific ASN oversight in the coming years. The licensee must moreover improve the organisation adopted to ensure the monitoring and traceability of the actions defined at the end of this periodic safety review. In 2022, ASN authorised the implementation of new software for managing material and monitoring criticality, which broadly improves the integration of measurement uncertainties when evaluating fissile material masses. The commissioning of a liquefied nitrogen reservoir on the new gas platform of Atalante has also been authorised. Deficient periodic inspections and tests, essentially due to human errors, led to significant discharges of greenhouse gases and failure to perform periodic tightness inspections of glove boxes and of fire-extinguishing gas cylinders. These deviations were reported to ASN as significant events. The licensee informed the outside contractors concerned and shared a feedback analysis on the identified risks with them in order to prevent the recurrence of this type of event. ASN considers that the level of safety of Atalante is satisfactory on the whole, particularly regarding the management of the waste zoning plan and the monitoring of outside contractor activities. The measures taken in 2022 have improved the static and dynamic containment of the BNI. A working group has been set up on the subject of piercing of gloves, with an action plan that will be applied within Atalante. THE INSTALLATIONS AND ACTIVITIES TO REGULATE COMPRISE: Basic Nuclear Installations: • the Golfech NPP (2 reactors of 1,300 MWe), •the CEA Marcoule research centre, which includes the civil BNIs Atalante and Phénix and the Diadem waste storage facility construction site, •the Melox “MOX” nuclear fuel production plant, •the Centraco facility for processing low-level radioactive waste, •the Gammatec industrial ioniser, •the Écrin waste storage facility on the Malvési site; small-scale nuclear activities in the medical field: •14 external-beam radiotherapy departments, •6 brachytherapy departments, •21 nuclear medicine departments, • 100 centres performing fluoroscopy-guided interventional procedures, • 111 computed tomography scanners, • some 5,000 medical and dental radiology devices; small-scale nuclear activities in the industrial, veterinary and research sectors: • about 800 industrial and research centres, including 4 cyclotron particle accelerators, 28 companies exercising an industrial radiography activity and 58 laboratories situated mainly in the universities of the region, •some 630 veterinary surgeries or clinics practising diagnostic radiology; activities associated with the transport of radioactive substances; ASN-approved laboratories and organisations: • 7 laboratories approved for taking environmental radioactivity measurements, •7 organisations approved for measuring radon, • 4 organisations approved for radiation protection controls. ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2022 85 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection • OCCITANIE •
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