PARIS (Reuters) – The Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) declared on Tuesday that it authorized the commissioning of the EPR reactor at Flamanville (Manche), a decision, later than expected, which will allow EDF to load the nuclear fuel then proceed with start-up tests and operation of the reactor.
This authorization concludes an investigation procedure during which the ASN carried out “nearly 600 inspections”, it specified in a press release, and was given after consultation with local and environmental stakeholders.
EDF has not given a date for fuel loading. An announcement should be made when the operation takes place, we learned from the energy company.
The group announced last year that it planned to load nuclear fuel from the Flamanville EPR in the first quarter of 2024, a schedule confirmed last February.
Once the nuclear fuel has been loaded into the reactor, a pre-critical testing phase will take place, before the so-called divergence process of chain reaction begins.
The reactor tests will be carried out in power stages and will require, at each stage, the agreement of the ASN.
Estimated at three billion euros when it was announced in 2004, the Flamanville EPR was initially due to enter service in 2012 but repeated difficulties on the site led to multiple delays and additional costs for the project, revalued at 13.2 billion euros, according to the latest indications provided by EDF at the end of 2022.
In statements made in the past on the availability of its means of production, EDF has indicated that the Flamanville EPR should produce 14 terawatt hours (TWh) between its connection to the network and its first planned shutdown, called ” complete tour 1″, initially expected for 2026.
(Benjamin Mallet and Jean Terzian, edited by Zhifan Liu)
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