The installations and activities to regulate comprise: • Basic Nuclear Installations: • the Blayais NPP (4 reactors of 900 MWe), • the Civaux NPP (2 reactors of 1,450 MWe); • small-scale nuclear activities in the medical field: • 19 external-beam radiotherapy departments, •6 brachytherapy departments, •24 nuclear medicine departments, • 90 centres performing fluoroscopy-guided interventional procedures, • 116 computed tomography scanners, • some 6,000 medical and dental radiology devices; • small-scale nuclear activities in the industrial, veterinary and research sectors: • about 940 industrial and research centres, including 59 companies with an industrial radiography activity, • 1 cyclotron particle accelerator, • 53 laboratories situated mainly in the universities of the region, • some 450 veterinary surgeries or clinics practising diagnostic radiology; • activities linked to the transport of radioactive substances; • ASN-approved laboratories and organisations: •1 organisation approved for radiation protection controls, •12 organisations approved for measuring radon, • 8 laboratories approved for taking environmental radioactivity measurements. Chapter 7 p. 204 Chapter 8 p. 240 Chapter 9 p. 270 ASN considers that the relevance of the risk analyses must be improved. It also underlines, despite the efforts made, another occurrence of accidental exposure of employees to asbestos fibres. CIVAUX NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Civaux NPP operated by EDF in the Vienne département, 30 km south of Poitiers in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, comprises two 1,450 MWe PWRs commissioned in 1997 and 1999. Reactors 1 and 2 constitute BNIs 158 and 159 respectively. The site accommodates one of the regional bases of the Nuclear Rapid Intervention Force (FARN) created by EDF in 2011 further to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP in Japan. Its role is to intervene in pre-accident or accident situations, on any NPP in France, by providing additional human resources and emergency equipment. ASN considers that the performance of the Civaux NPP with regard to nuclear safety and radiation protection in 2023 is in line with the general assessment of EDF plant performance. There is nevertheless a downward trend. The environmental performance stands out positively with respect to this general assessment. The two reactors of the Civaux NPP were restarted at the beginning of 2023 after outages lasting nearly 18 months, linked in particular to the repairs of the pipes presenting stress corrosion cracks. ASN considers that the nuclear safety performance deteriorated in 2023, particularly concerning the operational management of the facilities. The restarting of the two reactors was particularly affected by errors or difficulties in maintaining the facilities in the required state. Maintenance is also considered to be down compared with the comparable previous years, with in particular a maintenance non-quality that caused the shutdown of one reactor for work, while several events occurred due to poor assimilation of the activities. Maintaining skills in the maintenance services is a point requiring particular attention. Control of the fire risk is considered to be relatively satisfactory. This being said, following the outbreak of a fire due to non-observance of a procedure, the licensee must step up its rigour of operation. In the area of radiation protection, 2023 was marked by a contamination dispersion event in the reactor building during the outage of reactor 2: numerous malfunctions were characterised, showing a lack of radiation protection culture at the material, organisational and human levels. During the last inspection on this subject, ASN did however find greater awareness on the part of the licensee, who has implemented an action plan in response to this event. With regard to environmental protection, ASN notes that the creation of a retention pond for fire extinguishing water and stormwater is progressing. ASN did however find the demineralisation station facilities to be in poor condition, and this must be corrected. The occupational safety results have remained at a satisfactory level. The labour inspector conducted an in-depth investigation further to the contamination event in reactor 2 building. ASN noted positively the setting up of an organisation to address dangerous situations. ASN has nevertheless observed delays in ensuring the regulatory compliance of equipment in explosive atmospheres. ASN also notes several events with risks of crushing or impact, as well as situations with risks of workers tripping and falling, and electrical risks. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 81 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection • NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE •
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