2024-09-02 19:50:05
This is a new stop for Flamanville EPR (Manche). While the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) gave its contract to EDF on Monday September 2 for the production of the first electrons from the site, the company announced the suspension of the commercial launch of the reactor. The connection to the electricity network is now planned by “End of Autumn”while the energy industry is counting on the end of summer, September 21 is the latest.
The project is already twelve years behind schedule for this new pressurized water reactor, the fourth of its kind to be installed in the world.
Once clicked, the the deputy director of the nuclear production division of the French group, Régis Clément, at the same time announced on Monday that he had received a contract from ASN to launch the production of the first electrons of the EPR. But those “connection”i.e. network connection services that will allow French families to benefit from the power of the strongest power (1,600 megawatts, MW), fifty-seventh in the fleet, will also have to wait.
“A pilot program to achieve a capacity level of 25% will be implemented”stage during which the EPR “it will be connected to the national electricity grid for the first time and then it will generate electricity”deadline “planned about [à] late fall 2024 »The group said in a press release.
Multiple “risks” and cumulative delays
While the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, has decided to restart nuclear power by ordering six EPR 2 reactors (and eight additional ones as an option) from the power plant, the start of the Flamanville EPR, with more than twelve years go. of delay, and even if it was decided well before, has a highly symbolic side.
The numerous setbacks that affected the EPR site (cracks in the concrete of the slab, irregularities in the steel of the tank, and welding defects on the crossings of the equipment storage) caused the cost to increase, now estimated at 13.2 billion euros by EDF, four times the initial cost of 3.3 billion. In 2020, the Court of Auditors estimated it at 19 billion, including in particular “additional financial costs”.
The first nuclear fission chain reaction on the site is due to occur this Tuesday: “Night shifts will take physical action” which will damage the reactors “in this state of nuclear submission has begun and stabilized”Régis Clément, deputy director of EDF’s nuclear production division, told the press. The operation should “takes about ten hours”he explained.
“To go to the merger, we are talking about the end of autumn, because we have an important test program ahead of us”continued Mr. Clément, who announced the increase “at the next level”before the core nuclei can “show a white palm”. The CEO of EDF, Luc Rémont, declared at the beginning of July that the differentiation, an important stage in the reactor start-up activities, is “adhere to”.
“Dangers”
If it starts only on Monday, it is because the Flamanville teams meet “dangers” who took “number of additional services” to be done in the summer, according to Mr. Clément. As for the full force, already announced by the end of the year, it will be important to read “many months”according to the latter, you do not give a new day.
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In addition to the ASN order, other good news was announced on Monday by the energy company: EDF has significantly revised its estimate of nuclear production for 2024, now within 340 terawatt hours (TWh) and 360 TWh, compared to a scale. of 315 TWh to 345 TWh initially planned. The increase does not include subsequent production from the Flamanville EPR. “The other fifty-six reactors do better than what we put together”argued Régis Clément, so the production of “EPR [de Flamanville] will be added ».
“The “corruption” file is less interesting than expected”he added. “This revision of the nuclear production estimate for 2024 is based on the improvement in the operation of the single exits, the industrial control of the controls and the repair points linked to the stress corrosion file, and the absence of a major climate risk during the summer .according to the EDF press release.
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