| Article published at 16h53, updated at 17h17.
Potentially at the origin of construction defects on the tanks of the EPR of Flamanville, the plant Creusot Forge (Areva) will need to be inspected by the end of next year. The nuclear safety Authority (ASN) announced on Wednesday have given EDF until 31 December 2018 for review by all components of nuclear equipment manufactured on the site.
In a draft decision published on its website, ASN does not specify whether EDF will have to shut down its reactors for the review, but specifies that the reviews must take place while the units are stopped to be replenished. The DSC specifies that the EDF will be required to transmit no later than October 31, 2017, in its program review.
EDF has told Reuters that the request for review would not impact on the production of nuclear power. “It is built into our schedule to stop tranches,” said a spokesperson for the French group.
The first piece of “test” produced
The output of the plant Creusot Forge, was arrested last year following the discovery of irregularities in the production and falsification of documents.
End, at the end of the conduct by NewCo, its new entity focused on the nuclear fuel cycle, a capital increase of 2.5 billion euros reserved for the French State, Areva said that the factory of le Creusot was to build a component that needs to be the subject of analysis and testing before the site could restart its commercial production. A spokesman said that this recovery – which requires a green light from the nuclear safety Authority – was planned for the fall.
According to Patrick Merliaud, secretary CFDT development committee Creusot Forge, the piece produced is intended for “the program, Hinkley Point”, two EPR nuclear reactors built by EDF, the cost of which has been increased to more than € 1.8 billion. The electrician was also referred to a “risk” of a delay of 15 months for the first reactor and 9 months for the second.
(with Reuters and AFP)