the milestones and the deliverables required of EDF. ASN underlined the points requiring particular attention in the light of the operating lifetime envisaged for these new reactors, such as taking into account the effects of climate change between now and the end of the century. ASN STRESSES THE ISSUES RELATED TO THE SMR AND AMR PROJECTS AND TAKES INITIATIVES TO ANTICIPATE THE EXAMINATION PROCESS In the context of decarbonised industrial production targets, there is considerable enthusiasm for SMRs and AMRs and many start-ups are developing such projects. This will lead to the arrival of new players, new reactor technologies and new uses for nuclear power (production of steam, heat, or hydrogen) which will entail siting of reactors near the user industrial installations, potentially close to densely populated areas. For ASN, this means that the safety objectives associated with these reactors will have to be adapted in order to guarantee negligible releases, even in the event of a major accident. In 2023, ASN expanded its discussions with several French companies developing these projects. Faced with these innovations, ASN modified its organisation and its working methods, notably with new types of technical dialogue, which are more interactive than at present and better-suited to the needs of start-ups while their projects are maturing and the envisaged technological options are being validated. ASN thus defined project maturity criteria to be met before entering the pre-authorisation process, in order to optimise its resources. ASN recalls how important it is for project sponsors to develop a systemic approach including the industrial chain, the supply of nuclear fuel, spent fuel management, management of the risks of malicious acts and the proliferation of nuclear materials. Mitigating the consequences of accidents within the perimeter around these reactors and the management of waste will be essential pre-conditions for the deployment of these new reactors and for their acceptability. In 2023, the French, Finnish and Czech nuclear regulators concluded the preliminary examination of the main safety options of the Nuward project sponsored by EDF. This examination enabled the regulators to identify the safety advantages of SMRs, as well as some issues they raise, while helping the project sponsor identify ways of developing a more standardised design. It also enabled the various requirements, practices and experiences of the regulators to be compared. In 2024, the joint review of the Nuward reactor project will continue and cover new topics, expanding it to include three other European safety regulators (Netherlands, Poland, Sweden). This initiative confirms ASN’s position regarding the benefits to be gained from multilateral cooperation when reviewing sufficiently mature reactor projects, in an international context of standardisation. INDUSTRIAL RIGOUR IS STILL A CHALLENGE FOR THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY’S SUPPLY CHAIN France’s nuclear ambitions, both for reactors and for the “cycle” industry and waste management, will require an exceptional effort in terms of skills, industrial rigour and project management. ASN considers that it will take at least a generation to address the sector’s attractiveness challenge, notably given the dwindling interest in France for technological and scientific training and for the industrial professions. This challenge also concerns the nuclear safety and radiation protection inspection professions. The difficulties and the occurrences of non-quality observed in the projects over the past twenty years are mainly the result of a lack of experience and professional rigour. The steps taken by the French Nuclear Energy Industry Players Group (GIFEN) and the deployment of EDF’s nuclear sector Excellence plan (EXCELL) reflect active collective mobilisation around these challenges, with the aim of “getting it right first time”. ASN considers that these are steps in the right direction and are to be encouraged. From the safety viewpoint, and as of the moment of project launch, the ordering customers must ensure that the chain of contractors is competent to manage the technical, regulatory, standards-based and contractual requirements resulting from the detailed design studies. In this context, ASN has in recent years strengthened its oversight of the procurement chain for equipment intended for nuclear facilities, through inspections of suppliers and of their subcontractors. The lessons learned from these inspections were sent out to the licensees in mid-2023. On the whole, the inspections demonstrated technical competence in the activities carried out by the suppliers, but revealed recurring shortfalls in industrial rigour across the nuclear sector, which must be corrected. These shortfalls primarily result from supplier unfamiliarity with requirements specified as being important for safety, competence in certain special processes, and monitoring rigour and performance. Over and above these shortfalls, it also appears that the lessons learned from irregularities detected in the nuclear sector and in its supply chain in France and ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 5 Editorial by the Commission
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