FESSENHEIM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Fessenheim NPP is situated 1.5 km from the German border and about 30 km from Switzerland. Its two reactors, which were commissioned in 1977 and definitively shut down in 2020, are currently undergoing preparation for decommissioning. ASN considers that the site is continuing to operate the facilities and prepare for decommissioning conscientiously, particularly by adhering closely to the decommissioning preparation work schedule. In 2023, the site underwent a profound organisational change, with its transfer within EDF from the “Nuclear Power Production” Division to the “Dismantling Wastes Projects” Division. This organisational change came with a substantial reduction in the workforce, matching the change in the activities on the site. ASN considers that the change was well managed, preparing optimally for the organisational transition. The decommissioning preparation work also continued, in particular with the decontamination of the primary system of reactor 2, marked by a number of unforeseen events; preparation for the transportation of the lower sections of the site’s old steam generators for their future decontamination and recycling by a fusion process in the Cyclife facilities in Sweden; transformation of the turbine hall into a waste management and storage zone; continuation of the treatment and removal of boron and activated operational waste. ASN considers that, apart from the unforeseen events observed during the decontamination operation, these various activities were carried out as expected. With regard to radiation protection, the site’s performance is considered to be broadly satisfactory, particularly in the context of the decontamination operation. As for safety at work, the change in the types of activities and workers must be examined in order to guarantee that the protective measures are appropriate. NOGENT-SUR-SEINE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT Operated by EDF and situated in the municipality of Nogent‑sur‑Seine in the Aube département, 70 km north-west of Troyes, the Nogent‑sur‑Seine NPP comprises two PWRs each of 1,300 MWe, commissioned in 1987 and 1988. Reactor 1 constitutes BNI 129 and reactor 2 BNI 130. ASN considers that the performance of the Nogent-surSeine NPP is in line with its general assessment of the EDF plants in the areas of nuclear safety, radiation protection and the environment. With regard to nuclear safety, ASN considers that the results are satisfactory on the whole, except in the management of equipment padlocking operations and of conformity deviations, areas in which progress must be made. The licensee must also continue its efforts to maintain an adequately sized workforce and skills in the areas of operational management and maintenance of the reactors. The maintenance operations during the outages of the two reactors went satisfactorily on the whole. As far as occupational radiation protection is concerned, ASN observes that the management of worksite radiological cleanliness and the number of worker internal exposures remain satisfactory. However, deficiencies in the radiation protection culture and rigour of the workers were again noted on several occasions, particularly concerning the conditions of access to controlled areas. The licensee must remain particularly vigilant on this subject, as it must with the inspection of radiation protection equipment, which showed some weaknesses in 2023. With regard to protection of the environment, ASN considers that the licensee’s organisation is satisfactory. Nevertheless, improvements are expected in the integration of Operating Experience Feedback (OEF) from certain maintenance operations and in the management of discharges and the containment of liquid pollutions. Inspections by the labour inspectors confirmed the restoring of conformity of certain working equipment items, such as lighting and lifting equipment, further to the action plan initiated in 2022. AUBE WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY Authorised by a Decree of 4 September 1989 and commissioned in January 1992, the Aube repository (CSA) took over from the Manche repository (CSM) which ceased its activities in July 1994, while benefiting from the OEF gained from the latter. This facility, located in Soulaines-Dhuys, has a disposal capacity of one million cubic metres (m3) of low and intermediate level, short lived waste (LL/ILW-SL). It constitutes BNI 149. The operations authorised in the facility include the packaging of waste, either by injecting mortar into metal containers of 5 or 10 m3 volume, or by compacting 200-litre drums. At the end of 2023, the volume of waste in the facility had reached about 378,500 m3, or 38% of the authorised capacity. According to the estimates made by the French Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), in 2016 in the concluding report on the periodic safety review of the CSA, the repository could be completely filled by 2062 rather than 2042 as initially forecast. This can be explained by having better knowledge of the future wastes and their delivery time frames, as well as by an optimisation of waste management through the compacting of certain packages. 58 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2023 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection • GRAND EST •
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