The day after its start-up after a twelve-year delay, the nuclear reactor underwent an automatic shutdown on the evening of Wednesday, September 4. “This proves that the safety system is working well,” said an EDF spokesperson.
The EPR nuclear reactor in Flamanville (Manche) experienced a fire on Wednesday evening, September 4 “automatic shutdown” the day after its start-up, and EDF teams are carrying out technical checks and analyses before being able to restart its operation. «divergence», that is to say the nuclear reaction. The EPR, the subject of a construction site with many setbacks, had reached an important milestone on Tuesday with the achievement of the first nuclear fission. But several stages are still planned before it can really supply the network with electricity, with potential technical hazards.
“The teams are carrying out the necessary technical checks and analyses, following the usual procedures, and then they will restart the reactor divergence,” said a spokesperson for the EDF group on Wednesday evening. And to emphasize: “Starting up is a long and complex process [qui] “It requires a lot of testing and trials, and it can lead to these types of shutdowns.” “It proves that the safety system is working well,” she further indicated.
According to Nicolas Goldberg, energy expert at Colombus Consulting, “It is a very complex industrial process start-up and it is therefore common to encounter setbacks.” The expert emphasizes that “On the Finnish EPR, there were several setbacks, particularly with hydraulic pumps that were defective and had to be replaced.” “This does not call into question the start-up. We just have to be patient,” he points out.
“According to the first elements of the technical diagnosis, the stop [de mercredi] could be related to an inappropriate configuration of the installation”, said the EDF spokesperson. The latter “would have led to the automatic shutdown of the reactor, in accordance with the device provided for in the design.”
Twelve years late
The start-up of this new-generation nuclear reactor is twelve years behind schedule due to numerous technical setbacks which have caused the bill to explode, now estimated at 13.2 billion euros by EDF, four times the initial estimate of 3.3 billion.
Better late than never
After loading the uranium rods into the reactor core in May, EDF has conducted a series of cold and hot tests in recent months, which resulted on Monday in obtaining the green light from the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) to launch the first nuclear fission reaction. This crucial stage in the reactor’s start-up took place on Tuesday, marking the beginning of its power ramp-up in successive stages. It must reach 25% power to be connected to the electricity grid, which must occur “by the end of autumn”, according to EDF. The energy company initially hoped to reach this stage by the end of the summer, i.e. no later than September 21.
The EPR, a new-generation pressurized water reactor, is the 4th of this type installed in the world, the 57th reactor in the French nuclear fleet, and the most powerful in the country (1,600 MW). Ultimately, it should supply electricity to around 3 million homes.
