Generic guidelines for the periodic safety review associated with the fourth ten-yearly outages of the 900 MWe reactors
Information notice
In a letter dated 20 April 2016, ASN stated its position regarding the EDF guidelines file concerning the 4th periodic safety review of the 900 MWe nuclear reactors.
This fourth periodic safety review represents a highly singular context in three respects:
- First of all, forty years of operation corresponds to the initial hypothesis used in the design of certain reactor components and equipment. Extending their operation beyond this period means that these design studies must be updated to take account of operating experience feedback.
- Next, this fourth periodic safety review is an opportunity to complete the integration of the changes arising from the ASN prescriptions issued following the stress tests performed in the wake of the accident that struck the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.
- Finally, in 2009, EDF stated that it wished to significantly extend the operating life of the reactors beyond 40 years, which implies reassessing their safety in the light of the requirements applied to new facilities, the state of the art with regard to nuclear technologies and the operating life targeted by EDF.
Given the particular context of this fourth periodic safety review of the 900 MWe plant series, which aims to ensure continued operation beyond 40 years, ASN wanted to encourage greater stakeholder participation as of the generic preparation phase. This position statement was thus opened up to public consultation on the Internet from 26 January to 16 February 2016. All the comments received during this consultation are collated in a downloadable synthesis.
After examination, ASN considers that the topics selected by EDF in its programme correspond to the safety issues. However, ASN asks EDF to supplement several aspects of its programme, more specifically with regard to the scope of the inspection programmes and the study improvement objectives.
Following the generic studies phase, ASN will also issue a position statement on the adequacy of the modifications planned by EDF.
The first ten-yearly inspection associated with this fourth periodic safety review for the 900 MWe reactors is scheduled as of 2019 (Tricastin 1 reactor).
To find out more (in French only):
Documents to download
- IRSN opinion on this safety review guidance file in view of its analysis by the Advisory Committee for Nuclear Reactors;
- Opinion of the Advisory Committee for Nuclear Reactors on the safety review guidance file proposed by EDF;
- Report of the Advisory Committee for Nuclear Pressure Equipment on theguidelines chosen by EDF for the updating of the regulatory reference files for the fourth 10-yearly outage of the 900 MWe series reactors and for continued operation for 20 years beyond the fourth 10-yearly outage;
- IRSN opinionon the guidelines chosen by EDF for the updating of the regulatory reference files for the fourth 10-yearly outage of the 900 MWe series reactors and for continued operation for 20 years beyond the fourth 10-yearly outage;
- Opinion of the Advisory Committee for Nuclear Pressure Equipment on the generic guidelines for the periodic safety review associated with the fourth 10-yearly outages of EDF's 900 MWe reactors
- Public consultation on the generic guidelines for the periodic safety review associated with the fourth ten-yearly outages of the 900 MWe reactors
- Synthesis of the observations concerning the draft ASN position statement letter.
Date of last update : 08/11/2022