27 Jan (NucNet): The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for the 1,600-megawatt Flamanville-3 European pressurised water reactor (EPR) under construction for EDF (Electricité de France) in northern France has been successfully set in place, Areva has said.
The RPV, which is the main component of the reactor coolant system and encloses the reactor core, was put into place in an operation that was completed on 24 January 2014, Areva said. It had been brought into the reactor building on 22 January 2014 through a special opening designed for large components.
The operation was performed under the oversight of the French nuclear safety authority ASN (Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire).
Areva said the latest milestone for the project marked the ramp-up of installation work at the nuclear island of the construction site.
Weighing 425 tonnes and 11 metres in height, the RPV required 50,000 hours of design and manufacturing work including welding, machining and assembly.
In December 2012, EDF said the cost of construction of Flamanville-3 had increased by two billion euros (EUR) (2.7 billion US dollars) to EUR 8.5 billion, but production of the first commercial electricity was still scheduled for 2016.
Areva confirmed on 25 January 2014 that the unit is set to generate its first kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2016.
The EDF board gave the go-ahead for construction of Flamanville-3 in May 2006, saying it expected to complete the unit by 2012.
In November 2011, the company announced the unit would begin commercial operation in 2016, four years later than originally scheduled. That delay was linked to both structural and economic reasons, EDF said.
