News releases

All the news about nuclear safety and radiation protection

442 news

Published on 31/01/2022 at 11:21

Stress corrosion phenomenon detected on reactors

On 21 October 2021, following ultrasonic checks scheduled during the second ten-yearly outage of Civaux NPP reactor 1 (1450 MWe reactor), EDF informed ASN that it had detected indications on welds on the elbows of the safety injection system piping of the reactor’s main primary system.

Published on 20/01/2022 at 15:41

New Year’s greetings to the press

On 19 January, its Chairman, Mr. Bernard Doroszczuk, presented ASN’s New Year’s greetings to the press.

The ASN Chairman underlined the fact that the safety of nuclear facilities and radiation protection in the industrial sector and in the transport of radioactive materials, was sustained at a satisfactory level in 2021, following on from similar results last year.

Published on 21/12/2021 at 14:07

Stress corrosion phenomenon detected on the safety injection system of Civaux NPP reactor 1

On 21 October 2021, following ultrasonic inspections performed during the ten-yearly outage inspection of the Civaux NPP, EDF informed ASN that it had detected indications on welds on the elbows of the pipes connecting the safety injection system to the reactor’s main primary system. In order to identify the origin of these indications, the parts of the pipes concerned were cut for metallurgical analysis in the laboratory.

Published on 26/11/2021 at 10:29

EPR Reactor: Information Letter n°23

ASN continued its monitoring of the construction of the Flamanville EPR reactor. In 2020 and 2021, it was particularly vigilant regarding the processing of the anomalies detected on the main primary and secondary system welds and the continuation of the reactor start-up tests. ASN also authorised partial commissioning of the installation to allow nuclear fuel to enter the site, starting on 26 October 2020 and ending on 24 June 2021. A look back at these notable events.

Published on 12/11/2021 at 14:50

ASN administrative enforcement committee

In accordance with the provisions of the Environment Code, ASN installed its administrative enforcement committee on Tuesday 19 October 2021.

Published on 12/11/2021 at 09:00

Storage capacity for plutonium-bearing materials

On 28 September 2021, the ASN Commission called Mr. Knoche, CEO of Orano, to a hearing. The hearing first of all reviewed the worsening of the difficulties the licensee of the Melox plant is experiencing for the fabrication of MOX fuel.

Published on 22/10/2021 at 09:59

Design flaw on nozzles on the Flamanville EPR: ASN has no objection to the solution proposed

ASN considers that the solution proposed by EDF is in principle acceptable. ASN will issue a final ruling once EDF has provided the required data concerning the demonstration of the effectiveness of the arrangement, the design, manufacturing and operating requirements applicable to the collars and the quality of the set-in welds around which these collars would be installed.

Published on 24/09/2021 at 12:30

University Hospitals of Strasbourg (HUS)

The discovery by the University Hospitals of Strasbourg (HUS) of legacy radioactive sources and residual radioactive contamination in a building on the site of the Civil Hospital of Strasbourg was reported on the ASN website on 12 October 2020. Since that date, substantial investigations and characterisation work have been carried out by the HUS teams.

Published on 24/09/2021 at 12:25

External contamination of a worker

On 27 August 2021, ASN (Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire), the French nuclear regulator, was notified by the Cruas nuclear power plant licensee of a significant radiation protection event concerning the exceeding of an annual individual dose limit by an EDF employee.

Published on 24/09/2021 at 11:33

MDEP multinational inspection of a Framatome plant

A multinational inspection of the Framatome Saint-Marcel plant (Saône-et-Loire département) was held from 3 to 6 May and from 28 June to 2 July 2021, in the context of the Multinational Design Evaluation Programme (MDEP).

Published on 17/09/2021 at 15:06

Break preclusion EPR2 reactor

ASN considers that using a break preclusion approach for the main lines of the primary and secondary systems of the EPR 2 project is acceptable. This position supplements ASN’s 2019 opinion on the safety options of this reactor project

Published on 26/07/2021 at 09:09

ASN issues a call for candidates for its new Advisory Committee for Radiation Protection

When preparing its most important resolutions, ASN requests opinions and recommendations from its eight Advisory Committees of Experts (GPE)[1]. With the mandates of the two Advisory Committees for Radiation Protection coming to an end, ASN is setting up a single radiation protection group with cross-cutting expertise. It is therefore issuing a call for applications from candidates.