nuclear-news

Flamanville nuclear reactor 3 likely to go ahead, despite weak spots in its steel

FT 28th June 2017, A group of experts at the French nuclear safety authority have cleared
EDF’s Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor to start as planned next year – despite weak spots in its steel. The group’s non-binding recommendation will be used by the safety authority, the ASN, to formulate a final ruling on October.

But the decision makes it likely the reactor will get the final green light. Completion of the next-generation reactor had been thrown into doubt after the discovery in 2015 of weak spots in the steel prompted an
extensive safety review by the ASN.

The stakes are high for French nuclear groups EDF and Areva because it would cost billions of euros to fix if the
ASN had ruled that the steel was too brittle. The sign off by the ASN is also a European Commission pre condition for approving EDF’s planned takeover of Areva’s reactor business. The group of experts did recommend,
however, that EDF put in place a new reactor cover by 2024.  https://www.ft.com/content/7b401283-e91c-3612-9e21-2d1c8c45ed8d

June 30, 2017 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, safety