[EPR Flamanville Series] The Reactor is Ready to be Fueled

The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) is consulting the public from March 27 to April 17, 2024, on its draft decision authorising the commissioning of the Flamanville EPR reactor. This authorisation is the final step leading to the reactor’s fuel loading. “The facilities are ready for fuel loading,” announced Alain Morvan, the Flamanville 3 project director.

The Flamanville EPR is on the final stretch towards its commissioning. The Nuclear Safety Authority launched, March 27 2024 its public consultation on the commissioning authorisation on. This process will last three weeks and conclude on April 17, 2024. “This consultation, which concerns the ASN’s decision, complements the consultations conducted from June 5 to September 15, 2023, and from January 15 to February 15, 2024, on EDF’s file associated with the request for commissioning authorisation of the reactor,” the ASN recalls. Alain Morvan, project director of Flamanville 3 (EDF), indicated that the Flamanville EPR was ready for its commissioning.

An EPR Pampered Before the Big Day

Alain Morvan described on LinkedIn the final work done before the startup of the Norman EPR. “Thanks to the involvement of my teams, the facilities are ready for fuel loading, which will occur once the ASN grants the operating authorisation.” The installation notably underwent a thorough cleaning, from visual and endoscopic controls to the tank and its cover, including the primary circuit and the pressuriser. “The inside of the steam generators was rinsed with high-pressure water jets, then inspected with miniature cameras and a non-destructive testing process (Eddy current). The reactor building has been completely cleaned, and the clean rooms are locked. Achieving a high level of cleanliness in our facilities is essential to starting and operating the EPR safely,” detailed the project director.

Unique Operations Completed

Unique activities were also carried out, such as the gas filling (hydrogen) of the alternator, which “marks the last required activity on the non-nuclear part,” the installation of control rod drive mechanisms for reactivity control, the introduction of the core instrumentation probes… “All the equipment necessary for fuel handling is qualified, and the teams have trained again for fuel loading,” explains Alain Morvan.

Flamanville 3 will be the fourth EPR reactor to be commissioned after those in Taishan (2018, 2019) and Olkiluoto (2022). Two additional units are currently under construction at Hinkley Point C in the United Kingdom, and two more units are planned for Sizewell C.■