EDF connected the new EPR type nuclear reactor in Flamanville (Manche) on Saturday to the French electricity transmission network, the first so-called “coupling” operation in the country since the commissioning of reactor no. 2 at the Civaux power station (Vienna), in 1999.
The reactor will reach different power levels until the summer of 2025 which will conclude the testing phase, at the end of which it should operate at full power until its first scheduled shutdown for maintenance and fuel reloading, at the end of 18 months of cumulative operation, mainly planned for 2026. “The coupling of the Flamanville EPR is a historic event for the entire nuclear industry. I would like to salute all the teams who have was able to meet the challenges encountered during this project with the greatest tenacity, without ever compromising on safety.
Flamanville 3 joins the three EPRs already in operation around the world, in China and Finland,” declared Luc Rémont, CEO of EDF in a group press release. The Flamanville EPR, with a capacity of 1.6 gigawatts (GW), should produce around 14 terawatt-hours (TWh) until its first scheduled shutdown, representing the electricity consumption of around two million homes over one year. not yet taken into account in EDF's production objectives for 2025 and 2026. Between now and the reactor operating at full power, new test phases will see it stop and restart more than ten times.
12 years late and 10 billion in additional costs
“Starting a reactor is like an airplane when you explore its flight envelope before putting it into commercial service, this reactor will have to explore its entire operating domain,” declared Régis Clément, deputy director of the Production division. nuclear power plant of EDF, during a telephone press conference.
“The teams can encounter damage, malfunctions, this is the real life of a reactor and, at first start-up, (they) have them too,” he added. Estimated at three billion euros when it was announced but weighed down by multiple delays and additional costs which saw its cost more than quadruple to reach some 13 billion, the Flamanville EPR started at the beginning of September almost 12 years late.
It then experienced several automatic shutdowns linked to the complexity of the start-up operations, which consisted of putting a whole series of equipment into service for the first time. Three other EPRs are in operation around the world – two in Taishan (China) and one Olkiluoto (Finland) – and two units are under construction at Hinkley Point, in the southwest of England, which are also experiencing delays and additional costs.
