nuclear-news

Newest French reactor faces further delays due to new issues.

By Reuters, April 11, 2025

EDF’s Flamanville 3 reactor outage was extended for an additional week to
carry out maintenance on three more components in the nuclear part of the
reactor, an EDF spokesperson told Reuters on Friday. The extension comes
after a two-month delay for maintenance on the cooling circuit and rotors
of the turbo alternator group.

The reactor is currently in the ramp-up
phase and has only produced a minimal amount of power since starting last
December. EDF said it could not provide specific details on the components
that require maintenance or the cost, but said that the summer date to
reach full power has not changed.

The maintenance to the turbo alternator
will only be measurable when the reactor is next connected to the grid, the
EDF spokesperson said, meaning that there could be an additional shutdown
if additional problems are found during the ramp up. EDF said that the
shutdown is a normal part of the ramp-up process where the equipment is
stress-tested before operating at full power and will be repeated several
times in the coming weeks and months. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/newest-french-reactor-faces-further-delays-due-new-issues-2025-04-11/

April 14, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, safety