Grand Est REGION The Châlons‑en‑Champagne and Strasbourg divisions jointly regulate nuclear safety, radiation protection and the transport of radioactive substances in the 10 départements of the Grand Est region. In 2023, ASN conducted 180 inspections in the Grand Est region, of which 63 were in the Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in service, 12 in radioactive waste disposal facilities and on the sites of the Fessenheim and Chooz A NPPs currently being decommissioned, 93 in small-scale nuclear activities, eight in the transport of radioactive substances and four concerning approved organisations or approved laboratories. ASN also carried out 17 days of labour inspections in the NPPs. During 2023, 11 significant events reported by nuclear installation licensees in the Grand Est region were rated level 1 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Events Scale (INES scale), and one significant event was rated level 2. In small-scale nuclear activities, three significant events were rated level 1 on the INES scale (two in the industrial sector and one in the medical sector) and two significant events concerning patients were rated level 1 on the ASNSFRO scale. Lastly, in the context of their oversight duties, the ASN inspectors issued one violation report. CATTENOM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Cattenom NPP is situated on the left bank of the river Moselle, 5 km from the town of Thionville and 10 km from Luxembourg and Germany. It comprises four 1,300 Megawatts electric (MWe) Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs) commissioned between 1986 and 1991. Reactors 1, 2, 3 and 4 constitute Basic Nuclear Installations (BNIs) 124, 125, 126 and 137 respectively. ASN considers that the performance of the Cattenom NPP with regard to nuclear safety and environmental protection is in line with ASN’s general assessment of the EDF plants. The radiation protection performance of the Cattenom NPP is considered to be below the average for the fleet. The year 2023, like 2022, was a rather particular year given the long outages to address the problem of stress corrosion in the safety injection systems. With regard to operation and reactor operational management, ASN considers that the performance remains satisfactory, as in the preceding years. The level of skills management and reactivity control is considered to be very good. However, weaknesses were noted in system configuration management and the associated padlocking operations, and in monitoring in the control room. With regard to maintenance, 2023 was marked by relatively long and often concomitant reactor outages. ASN notes positively the monitoring of the maintenance activities, particularly in relation with the stress corrosion issue, along with the sound proper management of the unscheduled interventions carried out during the outages. Nonetheless, a few maintenance non-qualities were noted and some events call into question the adequacy of the post-maintenance tests conducted on certain items of equipment, which do not detect all the operating faults. The area of fire risk prevention, in which weaknesses have been noted for several years, is addressed by specific measures on the site, but which are nevertheless not preventing new deviations, particularly relative to interim storage management. The site made progress in environmental protection in 2023, with a reduction in the number of events relating to this subject. Weaknesses nevertheless persist in liquid pollution containment and in the monitoring of specific installations, particularly the oil separators, which caused a hydrocarbon spillage in 2022. Refrigerant emissions and the consumption of biocides are still high, generating large discharges. On the other hand, despite a hot and dry summer, the low water level of the Moselle river was well managed and had no impact on the site. With regard to radiation protection, ASN considers that the site is below average, particularly in the control of contamination and industrial radiography work. Improvements were nevertheless noted in the access to limited stay areas and prohibited areas in 2023, and in radiation protection as a whole over the second half of 2023, showing that the site is well aware of its weaknesses. Lastly, with regard to safety at work, ASN notes positively the efforts made in terms of conformity and awareness-raising, particularly regarding working time and work on Sundays, even though further progress is still expected. 56 ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023
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