nuclear-news

Welding defects in the Flamanville EPR nuclear reactor

Romandie 7th June 2018 ,President of the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), Pierre-Franck Chevet, said
Thursday that EDF should repair the welding defects on the future EPR
Flamanville, a project that will represent “a minimum” few months of job.
“Already for the weld defects identified, it must be repaired.I feel that
on these defects detected – and I did not say it was the end of what we
would ask – nothing it must be a few months of work, “he said. “It is at
least a few months of work,” he added to members of the commission of
inquiry on the safety and security of nuclear facilities.

Defects had been detected at the end of March on welds of the piping of the reactor under
construction at Flamanville, whose start is officially scheduled for the
end of the year. They concern the pipes of the main secondary circuit,
which connect the steam generator and the turbine that produces the
electricity. By inspecting the work of its subcontractors, EDF realized
that the welds that had been declared compliant actually bore “quality
deviations”. The electrician has therefore launched additional controls.
“According to the indications, there are about 35% of welds that have
defects,” said Mr. Chevet.

“There are some for a few weeks … before. EDF
also explained last Thursday that it would take a few more weeks of
discussions with ASN to draw the conclusions of this dossier – and to have
a precise idea of the probable new delays and additional costs. Meanwhile,
the group had mentioned a possible delay of “a few months” from the start
of the nuclear reactor, potentially until the summer of 2019. The president
of the ASN also recalled that there was another problem concerning the weld
material quality, which had already been announced.
https://www.romandie.com/news/925225.rom

June 9, 2018 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, safety