EDF’s costly EPR nuclear reactor failures – in France, UK, China
Emmanuel Macron hammers EDF as Britain’s nuclear energy future hangs in
the balance. The energy giant is our last hope in the push for big new
reactors. But the French president has handed it an almighty financial
headache.
Macron ordered the company to sell more electricity at knock-down
prices to its competitors, in order to keep a lid on soaring energy bills.
For Macron, it makes complete political sense. Three months out from an
election, he is keen to temper voter anger over energy costs, which, as in
the UK, have been pushed higher by surging gas prices.
EDF is 84 per cent owned by the French state and has to bow to its will — even when the
government’s intervention is “painful and defies good economic
sense”, as newspaper Le Monde put it. EDF calculated that Macron’s
demand would cost it €8.4 billion (£7 billion).
The company had no choice but to scrap its profit guidance for the year and warned investors
that it may need to seek more capital. Shares in EDF, listed in Paris,
plunged. In a leaked memo, chief executive Jean-Bernard Levy claimed that
Macron’s demand was a “real shock”. “It is going to weigh very
heavily on our results,” he added.
Trade union members at EDF have called
for a strike this week in protest at the president’s order.
Macron’sedict could not have come at a worse time for EDF, which was already facing
huge demands on its capital. On the same day that Kwarteng toured Hinkley,
the company cut its expected output of nuclear power this year by 8 per
cent, after warning that five faulty reactors in France would have to stay
offline while being serviced for longer than expected. This pushed the
total number of EDF reactors currently offline to nine.
EDF is midway through a long, slow upgrade of France’s fleet of 56 ageing nuclear
reactors; this project could cost it at least €50 billion. And, earlier
this month, it pushed back the start date and nudged up the expected cost
for its new reactor at Flamanville in France; the project’s cost has
quadrupled from initial estimates in 2004.
Flamanville’s overruns havetheir parallels at Hinkley Point, which is also years late and over budget.
It uses the same type of European pressurised water reactor (EPR) as
Hinkley, too. Other EPRs designed by EDF have run into problems: the
much-delayed Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in Finland is now finally
looking to start up this year; and Taishan — in Guangdong province in
China — has been offline since July because of a fault.
Taishan was supposed to be EDF’s “proof of principle for the EPR design”, said
Paul Dorfman, associate fellow in the science policy research unit at
Sussex University. “But that has not been the case. To shut down the
reactor is hugely expensive in terms of power, reputation, and in potential
safety … The EPR reactor has failed miserably in terms of cost overruns
everywhere that it’s been built.”
EDF remains confident that Hinkley
will be completed by 2026. Five and a half years into construction, it is
now at the halfway point. When operational, it will supply 7 per cent of
the UK’s electricity. About half of the £23 billion earmarked for
Hinkley has already been spent, and the remainder is expected to come from
EDF’s €27.5 billion cash pile. Hinkley, in other words, should be
completed despite the company’s travails. The outlook for EDF’s
Sizewell B in Suffolk, the next big nuclear project in the queue, is less
clear.
Times 23rd Jan 2022
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/emmanuel-macron-hits-nuclear-button-edf-hinkley-point-cpcvtccn3
France’s Nuclear Safety Authority considers abandoning the reprocessing of nuclear waste.
ASN is considering abandoning the reprocessing of nuclear waste, https://reporterre.net/L-ASN-envisage-l-abandon-du-retraitement-des-dechets-nucleaires The director of the Nuclear Safety Authority ( ASN ) described on January 19 the “ fragilities of the fuel cycle and the nuclear fleet ”. It opened up the possibility of eventually stopping the reprocessing of spent fuel, a particularity of French industry.
For the first time, to the knowledge of Reporterre , a nuclear manager in France is openly considering the end of the reprocessing of spent fuel at La Hague (Manche). On Wednesday January 19, during his back-to-school video press conference, Bernard Doroszczuk, Director of the Nuclear Safety Authority ( ASN ), said that this option had to be considered: ” It will be necessary either to provide for the renovation of the installations current if reprocessing is continued ; or anticipate the implementation of alternative solutions for the management of spent fuel, which should be available by 2040, if reprocessing is stopped. »
For the first time, to the knowledge of Reporterre , a nuclear manager in France is openly considering the end of the reprocessing of spent fuel at La Hague (Manche). On Wednesday January 19, during his back-to-school video press conference, Bernard Doroszczuk, Director of the Nuclear Safety Authority ( ASN ), said that this option had to be considered: ” It will be necessary either to provide for the renovation of the installations current if reprocessing is continued ; or anticipate the implementation of alternative solutions for the management of spent fuel, which should be available by 2040, if reprocessing is stopped. »
spent fuel, it has a whole series. Each poses a difficult management problem: plutonium (we can’t manage to use all the stock), minor actinides, reprocessed uranium, spent Mox, etc. By evoking the end of reprocessing, Mr. Doroszczuk therefore attacks a sacred cow of French nuclearists.
Why this new proposal ? Because, explained the director of the ASN , ” a series of events weakens the entire chain of the fuel cycle ” and several of its links are clogged:
• the pool at the La Hague plant (Manche), in which the spent fuel is currently stored, is reaching saturation point ;
• Orano’s Melox plant, in which part of the plutonium is recycled to make fuel, says Mox, works very poorly: “ We have too many breakdowns. Last year, we produced between 50 and 60 tonnes while the order book shows 120 tonnes per year , ” Régis Faure, spokesperson for the Orano Melox site , told Usine Nouvelle . Thus, the plutonium accumulates at the entrance, while at the exit, explained Mr. Doroszczuk, ” these problems that Orano has not mastered lead to the disposal of waste that contains more plutonium than expected. » ;
• finally, revealed the director of the ASN , “ the faster-than-expected corrosion of the evaporators at the Orano La Hague plant weakens the reprocessing capacities ” .
It therefore recommends anticipating the crisis, and either choosing to continue the reprocessing or to stop it. In both cases, this will involve very substantial investments, which we must think about now.
“ A nuclear accident is always possible ”
More generally, the ASN director underlined “ the absolute need to maintain margins so that there is no competition between production needs and safety decisions ” . Indeed, the nuclear situation is very tense, both currently, with ten reactors shut down, and in the future: it is not at all certain that the reactors will be able to operate beyond fifty years, indicated Mr Doroszczuk. And the sector lacks skills, both to manage the current fleet and its future dismantling and waste management: it would be necessary to “ train 4,000 engineers per year ” . We are far from it.The director of the ASN of course wants to stay out of the political debate. But it is clear that the “ messages ” he formulated on January 19 should be carefully listened to and understood by all presidential candidates who believe that nuclear power is the magic answer to climate change. He also repeated throughout his speech the requirement of security. ” A nuclear accident is always possible , ” he said.
Electricite de France has become a nightmare for investors, and a danger to regional energy security.
The long decline of Electricite de France SA isn’t only a political
crisis for the government in Paris, it’s a growing economic threat for
much of Europe
The giant nuclear operator, once a source of national pride
and reliable low-cost electricity, has become a nightmare for investors and
an increasingly wobbly pillar of regional energy security.
Technical problems at some of its largest reactors mean EDF is set to produce the
smallest amount of atomic power in three decades, slashing France’s
exports to neighboring countries. It’s a one-two punch for a region
that’s already reeling from record natural gas prices, and shows little
sign of abating.
Instead of helping EDF deal with its problems, the French
government is extracting billions of dollars from the company to shield
households from high energy costs. “The generic issue with EDF’s
reactors is leading to an unprecedented decline in production, which starts
being worrying,” said Nicolas Goldberg, a senior manager in charge of
energy at Colombus Consulting in Paris. “We’re going to have high
prices on the European market for a while. Everybody’s going to pay
more.”
Bloomberg 23rd Jan 2022
Design flaws in Flamanville EPR nuclear reactor vessel, and attempts to solve this
The EPR reactor vessel is not designed like the previous vessels, and the
water does not follow the flow movements observed on conventional reactors.
EDF engineers therefore had a piece of metal (deflector) installed in each
tank bottom to redirect the water correctly. But that would be
insufficient.
What solutions? The most logical solution would therefore be
to change this deflector “with the key to a work of development as
complex as ruinous, notes the weekly. And no one is sure, given the limited
space available in an EPR tank, that this repair is technically
possible”.
The other solution envisaged would therefore be to “reinforce
the fuel assemblies, reinforce the protective grids so that the blades
resist the flows”, mentioned Julien Collet.
EDF will present its plan to us
in February, so we can see if their proposals can solve the problem.
Another possibility mentioned at the end of the article: “To limit the
pressures of the water, it would be a question of running the EPR at only
60% of its power, Flamanville would then go from a capacity of 1,650
megawatts less than 1,000 and would end up, for a record bill of 13 billion
euros, less efficient than the reactors built 50 years ago.”
La Presse de la Manche 20th Jan 2022
France’s nuclear waste problem, and the lack of transparency on military wastes
“The lack of transparency on military nuclear waste poses a serious democratic problem” To guarantee access to the information that is lacking on the subject of the dismantling of the installations, “parliamentary involvement” is essential, believe the director of the Armaments Observatory, Patrice Bouveret, and the spokesperson for ICAN France, Jean -Marie Collin, in a forum in Le Monde.
Le Monde 20th Jan 2022
France’s nuclear company EDF accused of cover-ups over ‘serious and unexpected’ corrosion on Tricastin and other reactors.
“Hugo”, nuclear whistleblower: “I accuse EDF of cover-ups”. “With this
type of attitude, our power plants are not safe”: the shocking testimony of
a member of the management of the Tricastin nuclear power plant, worried
that the culture of nuclear safety is taking a back seat to financial
imperatives within the EDF group.
Mediapart 19th Jan 2022
Nuclear reactors shut down due to ‘serious and unexpected’ corrosion
problem. EDF, which operates the French power plants, should say by the end
of January whether other facilities in the fleet could be affected by this
as yet unexplained anomaly.
Le Monde 19th Jan 2022
Difficulties at Orano nuclear elements site adds to France’s nuclear woes.
France’s nuclear sector, which lately came under additional pressure due
to newly discovered corrosion problems at some EDF (EDF.PA) sites, may need
a “Marshall plan” to survive, said the head of France’s ASN nuclear
watchdog. Difficulties also increased at Orano’s Melox site which produces
nuclear elements for plants, adding to EDF’s problems, ASN President
Bernard Doroszczuk told reporters.
Reuters 19th Jan 2022
Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) warns France on problems, costs, safety in nuclear projects
The French nuclear industry will need a “Marshall plan” to carry out new
projects, warned Wednesday the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), which also
calls on France to re-examine the scheduled closure of 12 reactors and
alert on increasingly fragile management of spent fuel from the EDF fleet.
Les Echos 19th Jan 2022
Does the Flamanville EPR nuclear reactor have a design fault?
Nuclear: is the Flamanville EPR vessel poorly designed? In its edition of
Wednesday January 19, 2022, Le Canard Enchaîné details the problem on the
Taishan EPR and links it to the Cotentin site. “EDF is struggling to sleep
off its nuclear”. This is the title at the top of page 3 of the Chained
Duck of this Wednesday, January 19, 2022.
Is this a new article following the announcement, a week ago, of a delay and an additional cost of 300
million euros for the construction of the future Flamanville EPR reactor?
No, there is no question of re-welding operations taking longer than
expected.
“The energy company must face a formidable puzzle encountered on
the reactor vessel, where nuclear fission takes place”, immediately
announces the journalist Hervé Liffran. The concern was flushed out
following an incident on the other side of the world, in China. The Taishan
nuclear power plant, with the world’s first operating EPR reactor, was shut
down on July 30, 2021, after damaged fuel rods caused a buildup of
radioactive noble gases in the reactor’s primary circuit .
La Presse de la Manche 20th Jan 2022
Contradictory demands on EDF
“Neither its organization nor its finances allow EDF to meet all then challenges it faces”. Ensuring the country’s energy security, promoting French know-how internationally, producing ever greener products and serving as a financier of last resort: EDF is subject to contradictory political injunctions, underlines in his column Jean-Michel Bezat, journalist Le Monde.
Let’s face it, we would not like to be in the place of the CEO of EDF. At the controls of the energy giant since 2014, Jean-Bernard Lévy is not the type to let his arm be twisted without afight. But after tough negotiations, the state shareholder (83.9%) ended up imposing its views on it: within the framework of the mechanism for regulated access to historical nuclear electricity (Arenh), imposed byBrussels in 2011 in the name of the competition, he will have to sell to his competitors – at a sale price, it’s in season – 20% more power than usual.
Le Monde 17th Jan 2022
President Macron’s plan for electricity price cut could cost EDF €8 billion
President Macron’s plan to avoid a politically explosive electricity price rise in France could cost EDF €8 billion, the French state-controlled energy group warned yesterday. The alert prompted a sharp sell-off in shares of EDF, which tumbled by 14.6 per cent, or €1.51, to close at €8.84 last night, as investors reacted with dismay to an order from the French government that the company must increase the amount of
cut-price electricity it sells to rivals to hold down prices for consumers.
EDF further spooked the markets by saying that it was extending the shutdowns of five nuclear reactors because of safety concerns, leading to a fresh cut to its electricity production forecasts. The group, which is leading the project to build Britain’s only new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset, said that it was unable to calculate the exact financial consequences of the last salvo of bad news and withdrew its profit guidance for the year. It said that it would “consider appropriate measures to strengthen its balance sheet structure and any measure to protect its interests”.
Times 15th Jan 2022
10 out of 56 French nuclear reactors are currently shut down
“They are very anxious”: EDF in the face of nuclear reactor
breakdowns. Ten reactors out of 56 are shut down, i.e. 20% of French
nuclear production capacity. “In winter, the availability of the nuclear
fleet has never been so low”, observes RTE, the manager of the high voltage
network.
The black series continues for EDF. Thursday, January 13, the
group announced that a fourth nuclear reactor, Penly 1, in Seine-Maritime,
was affected by a corrosion problem on its safety injection system – a
device of capital importance in the event of a accident. His shutdown has
been extended until the end of May. Reporterre takes stock of the
situation.
Reporterre 15th Jan 2022
https://reporterre.net/Ils-sont-tres-angoisses-EDF-face-aux-pannes-de-reacteurs-nucleaires
https://nuclearinformation.wordpress.com/
Cracks on safety-critical pipes in France’s nuclear reactors
Cracks on safety-critical pipes: the list of nuclear reactors concerned is
growing! At the beginning of the year, the four most powerful reactors in
the fleet, Chooz and Civaux, are shut down following the detection of a
worrying generic anomaly (cracks in a pipe of the safety injection system)
which concerns at least three of them.
On January 13, the Institute for
Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety announced that reactor No. 1 of the
Penly nuclear power plant (Seine-Maritime) was also affected by this
defect, information confirmed by EDF. This discovery calls for a
questioning of safety control and French energy choices, based on nuclear
power whose supposed reliability is not there.
Sortir du Nucleaire 14th Jan 2022
https://www.sortirdunucleaire.org/Fissures-sur-des-tuyauteries-cruciales-pour-la
France’s nuclear company EDF in trouble, and with election looming
Emmanuel Macron facing the EDF and energy bomb. With the blocking of
regulated tariffs, to limit price increases to 4%. EDF will have to sell a
larger quantity of cheap nuclear electricity to its competitors. Panic wins
the company whose stock price has collapsed.
CEO Jean-Bernard Lévy has
just convened for Monday the “top 200”, the 200 highest executives of EDF.
We are already talking about a necessary recapitalization of EDF. Will the
state back to pot again? Or does the executive imagine calling on outside
investors? The question will be explosive three months before the
presidential election.
La Tribune 14th Jan 2022
Emmanuel Macron is slow to clarify his nuclear promises
Why Emmanuel Macron is slow to clarify his nuclear promises. The President
of the Republic was initially to present before the end of 2021 the details
of his strategy for relaunching new reactors. Procrastination which reminds
us that his position has often varied on the subject.
Le Monde 16th Jan 2022
1 This Month
26 September – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
PLEASE OPPOSE HR 8255 AND S.3639 – bills would accelerate satellite deployment, with no environmental review or safeguards – https://ncstd5li.quorum.us/campaign/169331/
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