NOTABLE EVENTS 2023 Flamanville EPR reactor Conclusion of examination of the commissioning authorisation application A DESIGN CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING AMBITIOUS SAFETY GOALS SN examined the design of the installation and its safety case. Discussions were held with EDF throughout the construction of the reactor. Between 2007 and 2023, ASN convened its Advisory Committees of Experts (GPEs) 28 times and asked the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) for more than a hundred opinions, in order to complete its examination. This regularly drew on data from the oversight and inspections on the site, in the supplier plants or within the EDF engineering bodies. As a result of this examination, EDF sometimes had to modify the design of its installation and reinforce its safety case. Throughout the project, ASN maintained close ties with its foreign counterparts also overseeing an EPR reactor project. These discussions were used to share the conclusions of safety assessments and the lessons learned from each project. That was particularly the case regarding the various anomalies found on the cores of the Taishan reactors (China), including the fuel cladding bursts observed in 2021. As a result of these anomalies, EDF notably modified the fuel assemblies. The design of the Flamanville EPR reactor enables the ambitious safety objectives set for the third-generation reactors to be met. By comparison with the second-generation reactors, it results in a significant reduction in the probability of core melt and radioactive releases in the event of an accident. The EPR reactor design in particular includes systems for managing severe accidents and is able to withstand extreme A 14 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 Major difficulties affected the construction of the Flamanville EPR reactor, which began in 2007. Throughout the project, ASN carried out its oversight duties, sometimes requiring that EDF modify the planned provisions. Based on the steps taken by EDF, ASN considers that the reactor can be commissioned in good conditions of safety. As at the time of approving this report, ASN is preparing to conclude the final examinations prior to issuing the reactor commissioning authorisation.
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