After receiving ASN’s formal opinion, the French government issued, by a decree dated 10 April 2007, the authorization to create a third reactor unit as a European pressurized-water reactor (EPR) on the Flamanville Site.

In that context, ASN:

• supervises the construction of the reactor in order to ensure that it will fulfil its design prescriptions, and
• prepares the review of the supporting documents for the commissioning-authorization application expected to be submitted around 2011, in accordance with Article 20 of Decree No. 2007-1557 concerning basic nuclear installations (INB).

Supervising the construction of the Flamanville-3 reactor

The construction of the Flamanville-3 reactor encompasses the following:

• the detailed design: detailed design studies setting forth the required data for the implementation of structures, components and equipment
• implementation activities: activities relating to the manufacturing and assembly of structures, components and equipment on the Flamanville-3 Site and in the workshops of nuclear pressure equipment suppliers or manufacturers (e.g., reactor vessel, steam generators, pressuriser).

In nuclear safety, the prevailing principle is that the prime responsibility lies with the operator (i.e., EDF).

Consequently, the purpose of ASN’s supervision is to ensure that EDF assumes fully its prime responsibility and guarantees:

• the conformity of detailed design studies with safety requirements;
• the conformity of implementation activities regarding equipment and the installation in order to assess the overall implementation quality, and
• the impact of the worksite on the safety of neighbouring INBs and the environment.

ASN ensures the direct supervision of design and manufacturing activities regarding pressure equipment (such as the reactor vessel, etc.), notably in the case of Areva.
ASN is also entrusted with a labour-inspection mission on the construction site.

ASN carries out its supervision activities through:

• a documentary review of detailed design studies;
• an inspection programme concerning EDF’s engineering services, the worksite and manufacturers. In 2008, plans call for approximately:
• 12 inspections on the Flamanville-3 Site;
• 6 inspections in EDF’s engineering services, and
• 20 inspections dedicated to the manufacturing of nuclear pressure equipment.

The number of inspections will be adjusted in relation to the volume and diversity of the planned implementation activities and the lessons learnt from past inspections.
On the basis of the elements brought to its attention, ASN may also decide to perform in-depth or unexpected inspections.

• the review of the process to handle non-conformities or anomalies that may occur on such a large worksite. Pursuant to the Order of 10 August 1984*, all anomalies or discrepancies occurring during construction shall be recorded and be addressed by the operator.

In its supervision activity, ASN benefits from the technical support of the French Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire – IRSN).
With regard to labour inspection, the ASN inspector shall determine the scope of his supervision in relation to the elements brought to his attention; the evolution of the worksite and operations under way. That supervision revolves around the review of reports, the conduct of inspections and the various requests addressed to the labour inspector.

In order to carry out efficiently the supervision of construction activities, ASN relies mainly on:

• its Territorial Division at Caen, where a team is dedicated the worksite inspections and reviews how anomalies or non-conformities are being addressed;
• its Nuclear Pressure Equipment Department, where a team is in charge of supervising the manufacturing of nuclear pressure equipment, and
• its Nuclear Power Plants Department, which is responsible for reviewing the detailed design, inspecting EDF’s engineering services and ensuring a sound co-ordination among the different ASN entities.

Those activities involve the equivalent of eight full-time inspectors to which are added the IRSN’s mobilised staff.

* Order of 10 August 1984 concerning the design, construction and operating quality of basic nuclear installations.