Nuclear : the power plant of Tricastin shutdown due to a dike too fragile

Avoid the serious accident, at any price. The four-reactor plant on the Tricastin (Drôme) are going to be placed temporarily to stop at the request of the nuclear safety Authority (ASN) for reinforcing a dike considered to be too fragile in the north of the facility, announced Thursday, EDF and the ASN.

According to the policeman of the nuclear, there is “a risk of rupture of a portion of the dike of the canal Donzère-Mondragon for the most important earthquake studied” to assess the safety of such a facility.

“The flooding resulting from it could lead to a crash of fusion of nuclear fuel” of the four reactors, which “would render particularly difficult the implementation of the means of emergency management of internal and external”, préciseencore the ASN in a press release. Of the elements contributed by EDF “does not allow to prevent the risk of short-term”, said ASN, noting that the group should “complement its geotechnical investigations” and prior to the restart of the reactors, the reinforcements necessary to ensure the resistance of the dike.

Additional protection was installed prior to the work

The electrician public has made it known in a press release that he did not see “the need to shut down the four reactors during the duration of the work,” but that it would implement the decision of the ASN as soon as possible”.

EDF indicates that the work of strengthening will be carried out “under one month” and that in the meantime “complementary protection” is being installed. It will be operational “in a few days”. These provisions guarantee the safety of the facilities, estimated electrician who believes that the shutdown of the reactors is “unjustified”.

Given that the judgment imposed, the group is forced to revise downward its forecasts of nuclear electricity generation for this year. It will now be between 385 and 392 terawatt-hours, compared to between 390 and 400 TWh previously. EDF confirms its financial objectives.

In Exchange, the action EDF widened its losses and was down 1.47 per cent after this announcement.

(with AFP and Reuters)

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