As part of the studies related to the third ten-year inspections of the 900 MW series, in early July 2009 the ASN publicly stated that it had not identified a generic problem that called into question EDF’s ability to control the safety of its 900 MW reactors for up to 40 years. The ASN’s general opinion is supplemented by a decision on each reactor.
EDF’s industrial strategy is to operate the fleet beyond 40 years in the best conditions of safety and performance, considering the significant investment linked to the third ten-year inspections and the post-Fukushima improvements on the one hand, and the energy needs of France on the other. This target is consistent with trends observed around the world for reactors using similar technologies. To this end, EDF has implemented industrial and R&D action plans. Actions have been launched to renew the major components that can be renewed (see section 1.4.1.1.2. “Operation and technical performance of the nuclear fleet”), and solutions are being studied to demonstrate the capacity of non-replaceable equipment such as the confinement containment building and reactor vessels, to ensure their operation up to 60 years.
An extension to the life of the current nuclear fleet would enable, whilst respecting the absolute priority of nuclear safety and as part of the multi-year energy programme (see section 1.4.1.1.2 “Operation and technical performance of the nuclear fleet”), better use of the industrial base it represents and the spreading of the commissioning of new plants over time.
The decision on 1 January 2016 to extend the useful lives of the 900MW PWR series of power plants (excluding Fessenheim) from 40 to 50 years, was enacted in June 2016 once all the relevant technical, economic and governance conditions for aligning the amortisation period of the French nuclear fleet are met. It is based on the technical capacity of the PWR 900MW fleet facilities to operate for at least 50 years, supported by international benchmarks, as well as by the investments made progressively under the “Grand Carénage” programme. These investments will enable the PWR 900MW series to reach a level of safety as close as possible to that of the EPR, and one of the highest internationally, after its fourth ten-year inspection(VD4).
The extension of the operating life of the 900MW units will be aligned on the current revision of the multi-year energy programme for the periods 2018-2023 and 2024-2028.
Concerning safety improvements required to extend the operating life of certain facilities beyond 40 years, the ASN indicated that following the meeting of the Expert Committee in April 2015 it would issue an initial position on the major strategic decisions of the periodic review relating to the fourth series of ten-year inspections of the 900MW reactors. Initially, this was to provide a definitive position on the “generic” phase of this review in 2018-2019. On 20 April 2016, the ASN sent a letter to EDF in which it defines its expectations to allow a potential operational extension of the 900MW French nuclear reactors. After reviewing the report submitted by EDF presenting its approach and its methodology to extend the use of the 34 reactors in question beyond 40 years, the ASN considered that EDF had adequately responded to safety issues and that its programme did not call for any comments in principle. However, the ASN asked EDF to complete its programme regarding several aspects, including the scope of control programme and the goals relating to improving investigations.
In its letter dated 28 September 2018 on the NRO (Memorandum on Response to Objectives) of the 4th periodic review of the 900 MW units, the ASN stated that “the works carried out and the planned arrangements will significantly improve the safety of the facilities and contribute to the attainment of the objectives of the review.” The ASN is expected to give a generic opinion in 2020. Until then, the examination will continue and EDF is considering additional ASN requests in terms of studies, inspections and works.
In September 2018, EDF, along with the IRSN and the ANCC (French National Association of Local Information Committees and Commissions), also launched a public consultation over 6 months on the generic phase of the 4th periodic review of the 900MW reactors in order to involve the general public in the debate and talk with experts from EDF, ASN and IRSN in public meetings, organised by the Local Information Commissions (CLI) of the concerned sites. A digital platform will complement these public meetings.
The accounting period of the other series of France’s nuclear fleet (1,300MW and 1,450MW), which are more recent, currently remains at 40 years, because the conditions for an extension have not been met. The subsequent extension of the most recently installed reactors in the French nuclear fleet is at the heart of the Group’s industrial strategy.
At end-2019, 32 of the 34 units of 900MW had undergone their third ten-year inspections. The VD3 inspection for Chinon B3, which started in 2019, will be completed in 2020. The last VD3 900 MW reactor inspection (Chinon B4) is scheduled for 2020.
Tricastin 1 was the first 900 MW reactor unit to undergo its fourth ten-year inspection (VD4), which was a success. It was decoupled on 1 June 2019, and diverged at the end of its ten-year inspection on 19 December 2019.
For the 1,300MW reactor, 11 VD3 inspections were carried out; one VD3 was under way as of the end of December 2019 (Flamanville 2); 8 VD3 inspections were outstanding as of the end of December 2019, including two in 2020 (Belleville 1 and Nogent 2).
EDF takes full regulatory, financial, and technical responsibility for the decommissioning of its plants and the other nuclear installations it operates(including BCOT, St Laurent Silos, and ICEDA). EDF has taken steps to ensure that throughout decommissioning, it controls the entire life cycle of nuclear power generation resources.
The reference scenario adopted by EDF since 2001 is for decommissioning without a waiting period, consistent with French regulations, which provide for decommissioning “in as short a time as possible on acceptable economic terms and in line with the principles set out in Article L. 1333-2 of the French Public Health Code and Article L. 110-1 II of this Code” (see Article L. 593-25 of the French Environmental Code).
The regulatory process for decommissioning is governed by the French Environmental Code (see section 1.5.3.2 “Specific regulations applicable to basic nuclear facilities”). It is characterised, for a given site, by:
Concerning power plants that have been shut down (a pressurised water reactor (PWR), Chooz A; a heavy water reactor (HWR), Brennilis; a fast-neutron reactor (FNR), Creys-Malville; and six graphite-gas-moderated reactors (NUGG) in Bugey, Saint-Laurent and Chinon), EDF has chosen to fully decommission them as soon as possible in line with the principles of the French Public Health Code and the French Environmental Code while ensuring that the technical risks associated with these activities are managed.
The sites remain the property of EDF, and they will remain under its responsibility and monitoring.
Given its role as responsible operator, EDF will act as the contracting authority for the decommissioning.
The decommissioning of EDF’s nine first-generation units in final shutdown will produce approximately one million tonnes of primary waste materials, of which 80% is standard waste material and none is High-Level Waste. The remaining 20% comprises Very-Low to Intermediate-Level Waste including about 2% Long-Lived Waste requiring the availability of a storage facility for ILW-LL and LLW-LL.
Existing means for removal of short-lived VLLW and LILW will be supplemented by:
