CATTENOM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Cattenom NPP is situated on the left bank of the river Moselle, 5 km from the town of Thionville and 10 km from Luxembourg and Germany. It comprises four 1,300 Megawatts electric (MWe) Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs) commissioned between 1986 and 1991. Reactors 1, 2, 3 and 4 constitute Basic Nuclear Installations (BNIs) 124, 125, 126 and 137 respectively. ASN considers that the performance of the Cattenom NPP with regard to nuclear safety stands out positively with respect to ASN’s general assessment of EDF plant performance. ASN considers that the environmental and radiation protection performance of the Cattenom NPP is in line with ASN’s general assessment of the EDF plants. ASN considers that the performance regarding operations and operational management of the reactors is broadly satisfactory. Weaknesses do however persist in control room monitoring. Regarding maintenance, 2024 was marked in particular by one ten-yearly outage, one refuelling outage and one three-month outage during summer to economise fuel. The maintenance performance remains satisfactory, in particular with good organisation of activities resulting in a well-controlled ten-yearly outage schedule and good anticipation of unscheduled interventions. Fire risk prevention, an area in which the site was considered below average for several years, improved in 2024, particularly regarding the control of fire loads. A fire that occurred in June 2024 in a non-controlled area causing activation of the on-site emergency plan, was correctly managed by the site. In the area of environmental protection, the site’s progress observed in 2023 on themes, considered below average in the preceding years, was confirmed in 2024. ASN notes more specifically better management of liquid pollution containment and of the oil separators. However, the consumption of biocides is still high, generating significant discharges. In the area of radiation protection ASN considers that the site must progress in controlling contamination dispersion and limited stay (orange) areas management. On the other hand, improvements have been noted in the management of radiographic inspections. Although ASN considers that the site is aware of its weaknesses, in-depth actions have to be engaged to improve radiation protection performance. Lastly, with regard to occupational safety, ASN considers that the working environment is broadly suitable, except for certain rooms situated in non-controlled areas. Moreover, some accidents and near-accidents that occurred in 2024 raise doubts about the identification and taking into account of specific risks during worksite preparation. Grand Est The Châlons‑en‑Champagne and Strasbourg divisions jointly regulate nuclear safety, radiation protection and the transport of radioactive substances in the 10 départements of the Grand Est region. 164 inspections 8 significant events rated level 1 or higher In 2024, ASN conducted 164 inspections in the Grand Est region, of which 62 were in the Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in service, ten in radioactive waste disposal facilities and on the sites of the Fessenheim and Chooz A NPPs currently being decommissioned, 81 in small-scale nuclear activities, five in the transport of radioactive substances and six concerning approved organisations or approved laboratories. ASN also carried out 15 days of labour inspections in the NPPs. During 2024, three significant events reported by nuclear installation licensees in the Grand Est region were rated level 1 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES). In small-scale nuclear activities, two significant events were rated level 1 on the INES scale (one in the industrial sector and one in the medical sector) and three significant events concerning patients were rated level 1 on the ASN-SFRO scale. Lastly, within the framework of their inspection duties and pursuant to Article 40 of the Penal Procedure Code, the ASN inspectors filed a report for suspicions of falsification in a facility manufacturing equipment intended for nuclear installations. 58 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2024
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