Flamanville EPR reactor: ASN authorises the reception and storage of nuclear fuel on the site

On 8 October 2020, the ASN authorised the arrival of nuclear fuel at the Flamanville EPR reactor site. This fuel will be stored in the pool of the building intended for this purpose.

The ASN carried out an inspection on the Flamanville site on 18 and 19 August 2020 to assess the operator's preparedness for the reception, handling and storage of the new fuel. The checks carried out during this inspection showed a satisfactory state of the installation and a satisfactory level of preparation by the licensee for the arrival of fuel on site.

The reception and storage of new fuel present risks of dispersion of radioactive substances in the event of a fuel assembly falling during handling. The ASN considers that the measures taken by EDF to prevent this accident scenario and limit its consequences are satisfactory.

The ASN has also authorised the use of radioactive gases to carry out efficiency tests on certain filtration devices.

The ASN's draft decision has been submitted for public consultation and the application file submitted by EDF has been made available to the public from 31 August to 21 September 2020.

This authorisation is one of the stages prior to the commissioning of the Flamanville EPR reactor. The commissioning of the facility, i.e. the loading of fuel into the reactor vessel, remains subject to authorisation by ASN. It will also be subject to prior public consultation.