News releases

All the news about nuclear safety and radiation protection

438 news

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.

Published on 21/06/2021 at 16:12

ASN has issued its opinion on the management of radioactive materials and waste

Pursuant to the 2016-2018 edition of the National Radioactive Materials and Waste Management Plan (PNGMDR) and in response to a request from the Ministry in charge of Energy, ASN issued seven opinions over the period 2020 to 2021 on the management of radioactive materials and waste produced in France.

Published on 02/06/2021 at 19:14

ASN Report on the State of Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection in France in 2020

On May 27, in the health crisis situation, ASN presented its Report on the State of Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection in France in 2020 to the parliamentarians of the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technical Choices.This report has been sent to the offices of the President of the Republic, of the Prime Minister and of the Speakers of the Senate and the National Assembly.

Published on 01/06/2021 at 10:19

WENRA Safety Objectives for new NPPs are still up-to-date

10 years after their publication, the WENRA’s Reactor Harmonization Working Group (RHWG) has performed a review to check whether the safety objectives for new NPPs needed to be updated considering advances in scientific knowledge and technology.