The Flamanville EPR reactor will be connected to the electricity network on Friday, 12 years late, announces EDF

This coupling to the network “will be marked by different power levels, until the summer of 2025, which will conclude the testing phase”, specifies the company.

The connection to the electricity network of the Flamanville EPR reactor (Manche) is “foreseen” Friday December 20, announced EDF on Wednesday. The operation of the new generation reactor, which was initially scheduled to enter service in 2012, “will be marked by different power levels, until summer 2025, which will conclude the testing phase”specifies the company. Initially, the most powerful reactor in France will only operate at a quarter of its power.

The Nuclear Safety Authority gave the green light for the installation to start up last May. The commissioning of the EPR, hoped for by the end of the summer, was once again delayed due to a “automatic shutdown” in September. This incident occurred the day after the “first nuclear reaction”which marked the beginning of the increase in power in successive stages.

The start-up of the EPR is 12 years behind the initial schedule due to numerous setbacks and technical hazards which have caused the bill to explode, now estimated at 13.2 billion euros by EDF, or four times the initial estimate for 3.3 billion. This new generation pressurized water reactor is the fourth of this type installed in the world and the 57th reactor in the French nuclear fleet.