In January, Framatome delivered the first Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel (EATF),consisting of improved fuel pellets and cladding tubes, to the Vogtle Electric power plant in Georgia, USA.
In February, changes to the Preventive Protection System for the I&C system at the Loviisa nuclear power plant, operated by Finnish electricity company Fortum, were finalised. This system contributes to the power plant’s operational safety, and forms part of the programme to modernise the power plant’s I&C system commenced in 2016.
An agreement was also entered into for the manufacture of fuel and related services for unit 2 of the Palo Verde nuclear power plant, operated by Arizona Public Service Near Phoenix, Arizona.
An agreement has also been signed with Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation To implement a new maintenance technique at the Coffey County nuclear power plant in Kansas, USA.
After having completed renovation of the four backup diesel generators at the Gösgen power plant operated by Swiss electricity firm Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken AG, Framatome entered into a new agreement in April to modernise the protection system for the nuclear power plant’s reactor: as a result, this will be equipped throughout with Framatome’s TELEPERM XS digital safety I&C system.
In July, Framatome and Kinectrics joined forces with Bruce Power in the USA to develop a key medical isotope, known as Lutetium-177, used in the treatment of prostate cancer.
In October, the Franco-German consortium formed by Siemens and Framatome Concluded an agreement for the supply of the main I&C system for the Hanhikivi nuclear power plant in Finland, as well as an agreement for the supply of automated process control systems for the Paks-2 nuclear power plant in Hungary.
Also in October, ITER awarded a major contract to a Franco-Chinese consortium that includes Framatome. This contract relates to the assembly and installation of the Tokamak facility at ITER’s nuclear fusion project facility.
In November, a new hot rolling mill was inaugurated in the Rugles factory in Normandy. This installation can roll large strips of zirconium, used to produce sheet metal which is in turn used to manufacture fuel assemblies for nuclear power plants.
There are two basic nuclear facilities (BNF) at the Framatome site of Romans, BNF no. 63 (fuel elements fabrication for research reactors – CERCA) and BNF no. 98 (fabrication of fuel assemblies for nuclear power reactors).
As in 2018, no major safety or radiation protection event was recorded at Framatome’s Romans-sur-Isère site.
In 2019, Framatome’s Romans-sur-Isère site declared 20 significant safety events (ESS) classified at INES 0, 4 ESS at INES 1 and none at INES 2. The number of events declared is stable compared with 2018.
No event declared in respect of the year 2019 had any impact on workers, the general public or the environment.
The 2019 detailed results on nuclear safety are published in the annual report drawn up by the General Inspector for Nuclear Safety and in the TSN report of the Framatome site of Romans-sur-Isère and are available on the website www.framatome.com.
Dedicated assets have been established to cover long-term nuclear commitments (see section 6.1 EDF’s “Consolidated financial statements”, note 48.6 “Framatome and Cyclife France dedicated assets” of the appendix to the consolidated financial statements at 31 December 2019).
In an environment of stagnating consumption in France in 2019, thermal generation from fossil fuels has declined, playing its role as “connection group”.
EDF’s electricity generation from its thermal power plants in mainland France represented approximately 2.3% of its total electricity generation in 2019. During the same period, this fleet had a total installed operating capacity of 5,525MW.
Thermal generation assets have a number of advantages: they are very responsive and flexible (quick to start up and power can be modulated), and they have relatively low investment costs and short construction times.
Thermal generation assets are one of the key components of the energy mix to ensure the balance of generation and consumption in real time by accommodating fluctuations in electricity consumption and renewable energy generation (sun and wind power in particular). Together with some hydropower facilities (lakes, pumped storage plants), they are used to meet mid-merit and peak demand electricity requirements. They also help to regulate the system and thereby contribute to maintaining suitable voltage and frequency levels across the grid.
At 31 December 2019, the thermal generation facilities operated by EDF were of different types, both in terms of fuel and power:
| Output (in TWh) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Unit capacity (In MW) | Number of units in operation at 31/12/2019 | Total capacity | Year commissioned | At 31/12/2019 | At 31/12/2018 |
| Coal-fired | Coal-fired 580 | Coal-fired 3 | Coal-fired 1,740 | Coal-fired in 1983 and 1984 | Coal-fired Output (in TWh)0.8 | 3.9 |
85 | 4 | 340 | in 1980 and 1981 | |||
203 | 1 | 203 | in 1992 | |||
134 | 1 | 134 | in 1996 | |||
125–129 | 2 | 254 | in 1998 and 2007 | |||
| Fuel oil, gas and dual-fuel combustion turbines (gas and fuel oil) | Fuel oil, gas and dual-fuel combustion turbines (gas and fuel oil) 185 | Fuel oil, gas and dual-fuel combustion turbines (gas and fuel oil) 2 | Fuel oil, gas and dual-fuel combustion turbines (gas and fuel oil) 370 | Fuel oil, gas and dual-fuel combustion turbines (gas and fuel oil) in 2010 | ||
179-182 | 3 | 542 | in 2008 and 2009 | Output (in TWh)0.2 | 0.2 | |
427 | 1 | 427 | in 2011 | |||
465 | 2 | 930 | in 2012 and 2013 | |||
| Combined Cycle Gas Turbine | Combined Cycle Gas Turbine 585 | Combined Cycle Gas Turbine 1 | Combined Cycle Gas Turbine 585 | Combined Cycle Gas Turbine in 2016 | Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Output (in TWh)8.8 | 6.9 |
(1) The objective of Framatome is to detect, report and treat in the best possible manner all deviations and anomalies occurring in connection with its activities. The purpose of this indicator is to enhance the sharing of experience, broaden analysis and the importance given to weak signals. Events declared at level 0 on the INES scale are safety deviations, considered as “weak signals”. It is essential to take them into account as part of a continuous improvement process for a better management of risk prevention in the conduct of activities. In order to facilitate the reporting on “weak signals” and the sharing of experience, Framatome detects and records any deviation. The analysis of the latter, by the Filière indépendante de sûreté (independent safety reviewer), assesses the level of reporting to the safety authority.
