THE INDUSTRIAL AND RESEARCH FACILITIES High flux reactor of the Laue‑Langevin Institute The Laue-Langevin Institute (ILL), an international research organisation, accommodates a 58 Megawatts thermal (MWth) heavy-water High-Flux Neutron Reactor (RHF) which produces high-intensity thermal neutron beams for fundamental research, particularly in the areas of solid-state physics, neutron physics and molecular biology. The RHF constitutes BNI 67 which accommodates the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), an international research laboratory. This BNI occupies a surface area of 12 hectares situated between the rivers Isère and Drac, just upstream of their confluence, near the CEA Grenoble centre. In view of the oversight actions it conducted in 2023, ASN considers the safety of the RHF to be satisfactory. After carrying out substantial works to renovate the RHF and enhance its safety in 2022, no significant difficulties were encountered with the restarting of the reactor and its cycles in 2023. In 2023, the ILL continued progressing with the action plan established for its third periodic safety review and enriched by the commitments made further to the expert assessment associated with this review. The year also saw intensive discussions during the examination of modifications to be implemented as of mid-2024 to comply with ASN resolution 2022-DC-0738 of 28 July 2022 validating the conclusions of the periodic safety review. In July 2022, the ILL also submitted a “public information notice” file aiming to establish new technical requirements for discharges and environmental monitoring. Elements were added to this file in 2023 and ASN is continuing to examine it. ASN will be particularly attentive in 2024 to the preparation of the next activities with safety implications for ILL, notably the pre-clean-up operations of the former detritiation facility and the polar crane renovation. Lastly, the revision of the ASN requirements regulating discharges will be continued in 2024. Ionisos irradiator The company Ionisos operates an industrial irradiator in Dagneux, situated in the Ain département. This irradiator, which constitutes BNI 68, uses the radiation from cobalt-60 sources for purposes such as sterilising medical equipment (syringes, dressings, prosthesis) and polymerising plastic materials. ASN considers that the operational safety of the facility was satisfactory in 2023. However, ASN has also noted the simultaneous departure of the safety manager and the safety engineer, which is a source of organisational vulnerability for safety management. In view of the ongoing projects, ASN considers that the licensee must lastingly reinforce its team and its skills with regard to safety. CERN accelerators and research centre Following the signing of an international agreement between France, Switzerland and the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) on 15 November 2010, ASN and the Swiss Federal Office for Public Health (OFSP) – the Swiss radiation protection oversight body – are contributing to the verification of the safety and radiation protection requirements applied by CERN. The joint actions concern transport, waste and radiation protection. Two joint inspections by the Swiss and French authorities were held in 2023 on the themes of the management of high-activity sources and the transport of radioactive substances. These inspections found the practices to be satisfactory. SITES UNDERGOING DECOMMISSIONING Superphénix reactor and fuel storage facility The Superphénix fast neutron reactor (BNI 91), a 1,200 MWe sodium-cooled industrial prototype is situated at CreysMalville in the Isère département. It was definitively shut down in 1997. The reactor has been unloaded and the majority of the sodium has been neutralised in concrete. Superphénix is associated with another BNI, the Apec fuel storage facility (BNI 141). The Apec essentially comprises a pool containing the fuel unloaded from the reactor pressure vessel and the area for storing the soda concrete packages resulting from neutralisation of the sodium from Superphénix. In 2018, ASN authorised commencement of the second Superphénix decommissioning phase, which consists in opening the reactor pressure vessel to dismantle its internal components, in dedicated facilities constructed in the reactor building, by direct or remote manipulation. In this context, ASN inspected the end of the reactor core closure plug cutting operations. The large rotating plug was cut into three pieces stored on specific storage platforms. The reactor vessel was covered by a containment structure to seal it pending its decommissioning. This containment structure shall also be used to permit the extraction of the first internal components of the vessel in 2024. In 2023, ASN also inspected the preparation operations for construction of the D4 tunnel facility in which the most highly activated internal parts of the reactor vessel will be cut up by remote operation. In view of the inspections conducted in 2023, ASN considers that the safety of the Superphénix reactor decommissioning operations and of operation of the fuel storage facility is ensured satisfactorily. ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 43 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection • AUVERGNE‑RHÔNE‑ALPES •
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