On 19 June 2023, Orano submitted an application for modification of the creation decree in order to increase the production capacity of the Georges Besse II plant (Basic Nuclear Installation – BNI 168) by about 30%. The application is currently being examined by ASN and will be the subject of a public inquiry in 2024. ASN underlines the quality of the file submitted by Orano and of the technical discussions during the course of its examination. Orano shall ensure that the resources committed to the new projects, such as this one, shall not be to the detriment of other projects to improve support functions or process legacy radioactive substances stored on the site, which are just as high priority. Legacy waste retrieval and conditioning and decommissioning on the La Hague site Large quantities of legacy waste at La Hague are not stored in accordance with current safety standards and present major risks. The Legacy Waste Retrieval and Conditioning (WRC) is a key step in the progress of decommissioning of definitively shut down plants. ASN therefore welcomes Orano’s decision at the beginning of 2023 to build new silos to significantly improve the storage conditions for the sludges from the former effluent treatment station (BNI 38) without waiting for a final conditioning process for these sludges. With regard to the organisation and management of these complex projects, ASN notes the progress made, such as acceptance of the objectives of immediate dismantling, the use of project maturity assessments, or the development of project progress management tools. ASN considers that Orano must make progress concerning the robustness of the waste retrieval and processing scenarios and in ensuring the reliability of the operational waste retrieval processes, in order to guarantee the schedules for the various WRC and dismantling projects announced Individual facility assessments The ASN assessments of each nuclear facility are detailed in the Regional Overview in this report. CEA Most French nuclear research facilities have been historically operated by the Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). Although some are still contributing to CEA’s scientific and technical research programmes, a good number of them have been shut down and CEA is faced with major challenges in order to decommission them and manage the legacy waste satisfactorily. ASN considers that the safety of the facilities operated by CEA is still under control but that the results of the decommissioning and WRC projects differ widely and are still exposed to major contingencies. Despite the gradual reinforcement of the project management practices, performance remains limited by the resources available and by the operational capacity of the contractors in the sector. In addition, the operational reality of the worksites is nearly always more complex than anticipated, to the extent that an entire project is sometimes called into question, or the at the very least the deadlines are significantly pushed back. In this respect, ASN considers that management of these projects remains a point warranting particular attention. Finally, ASN considers that the emergency situations management organisation and the monitoring of outside contractors require further improvement. CEA’s decommissioning and materials and waste management strategy In order to keep track of the progress of the projects with the highest priority for safety, the authorities and CEA set up regular and high-level reporting of the deadlines with the greatest safety implications; ASN underlines the commitment by the CEA managers in the oversight and monitoring of these milestones. In 2023, CEA notably continued with the removal of a certain number of radioactive substances (effluents and spent fuels) from its facilities that had been definitively shut down, which helped substantially reduce the residual risks. ASN nonetheless finds that, despite CEA’s clear intention to carry out facilities decommissioning and WRC operations, this licensee is experiencing major difficulties in meeting the deadlines initially set. These delays are notably caused by technical or contractual difficulties. ASN also regularly draws CEA’s attention to certain shortcomings in its waste and effluent management strategy. This is to large extent based on unique facilities, for which there is no operational alternative, and which therefore determine the satisfactory performance of the numerous projects using them. Moreover, for several of these facilities, there are serious risks in terms of the time required for commissioning (Diadem), for refurbishment (BNI 37-A) or for storage capacity extension (Cedra), which all constitute risks for the project that depend on them. 24 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 ASN Assessments
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