17 Jun (NucNet): France’s Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) said yesterday that state-controlled nuclear operator EDF had shut down Unit 2 at the Fessenheim nuclear station because of irregularities detected at Areva’s Le Creusot forging facility. ASN said the shutdown would allow for “further investigations” on a steam generator after irregularities detected at Le Creusot. ASN said that of 80 irregularities identified in an audit, 79 had already been analysed. ASN confirmed that EDF has now reviewed all but one discrepancy and is conducting its own technical analysis of the results. The irregularity at Fessenheim, an 880-MW pressurised water reactor which began commercial operation in 1978, is the last of the irregularities to be investigated. EDF has told ASN that the 79 irregularities examined so far had no impact on the safety of the reactors concerned. The irregularities consisted of “inconsistencies, omissions or changes in manufacturing files”. They were discovered as part of a quality audit which began in 2015 at Le Creusot. ASN said irregularities found on equipment manufactured at Le Creusot had also been identified on components manufactured for EDF’s Flamanville-3 EPR project under construction in France. ASN said it did not have any more information as to the nature of the irregularities on the EPR project. ASN said the 80 irregularities found in the French reactor fleet relate to steam generators, reactor pressure vessels and the pipes and tubes of the primary circuit of 21 reactors. The list of reactors is on ASN’s website: http://bit.ly/2619Ztn
