PENLY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Penly NPP operated by EDF in the Seine-Maritime département in the municipality of Penly, 15 km north-east of Dieppe, comprises two 1,300 MWe PWRs commissioned between 1990 and 1992. Reactor 1 constitutes BNI 136 and reactor 2 BNI 140. ASN considers that the nuclear safety performance of the Penly NPP stands out positively with respect to its general assessment of EDF plant performance, and that its radiation protection and environmental protection performance is in line with this general assessment. With regard to nuclear safety, ASN considers that the NPP’s performance is progressing slightly, particularly in operating rigour. Some weaknesses nevertheless persist. In effect, there are Significant Safety Events (ESS), linked in particular to shortcomings in the facility configuration management (alignment, lockout/tagout), communication deficiencies within the operational management group (Human and Organisational Factors – HOFs) and in the completeness of the operating documents. ASN considers that particular attention must be paid to the quality of preparation of the activities and the documents associated with the routine operation activities (periodic tests, alignments, etc.) and to improving the way in which HOFs are taken into account. With regard to maintenance, ASN considers that the organisation in place is robust and capable of guaranteeing the conformity and good overall condition of the equipment. ASN has nevertheless observed shortcomings in the process sheets and procedures used, leading to errors during maintenance operations. Efforts must be continued in order to limit these errors resulting from deficiencies in document presentation or completeness. Alongside this, the overlapping of two reactor outages in the second half of 2024 highlighted the weaknesses in the performance and traceability of the operations aiming to guarantee the conformity of the facilities. ASNR will be particularly attentive to these points in 2025, particularly the restarting of reactor 2 on completion of its ten-yearly outage. In the area of radiation protection, ASN considers that progress has been made in organisational aspects, particularly with the continued deployment of the centres of competence in radiation protection. The inspections found a good standard of monitoring of the condition of the facilities. ASN considers that the site must continue the ongoing efforts to prevent the risk of contamination and be attentive to the processes involving high radiation exposure risks (industrial radiography work, marking out limited stay areas), which showed weaknesses at the end of the year. With regard to protection of the environment, ASN considers that the Penly NPP has a robust organisation for managing and monitoring environmental discharges. On the occasion of an unannounced inspection, ASN found the EDF teams’ organisation for deploying mobile means for taking environmental samples and measurements to be responsive and appropriate. In addition, the improvement in the measures taken to control discharges of ozone-depleting gases seems to be lasting over the long term. With regard to labour inspection, ASN observes that the workers generally know and comply with the safety requirements. Inspections have nevertheless occasionally revealed deviations in the prevention of vital risks (such as prevention of the risk of falling from height and those associated with lifting activities), and in the ventilation of workplaces. ASNR will therefore be particularly attentive to the steps taken to reinforce the measures to prevent these risks. EPR REACTOR – FLAMANVILLE 3 Under construction since September 2007, the Flamanville EPR reactor was commissioned on 8 May 2024 after receiving commissioning authorisation from ASN. The first nuclear chain reaction took place on 3 September 2024 and the reactor was coupled to the French electricity grid for the first time on 21 December 2024. The reactor was continuing its startup tests at the end of 2024. With regard to the pre-commissioning operations, ASN considers that EDF worked very hard to obtain issuance of the reactor commissioning authorisation. ASN consolidated its position essentially on the basis of the inspection of the startup tests, the state of completion of the facilities, the operational capability, and the assessment of the conformity of the Nuclear Pressure Equipment (NPE). Completion of the pre-commissioning startup test programme underwent two dedicated inspections, and the test results report was examined by ASN. Furthermore, as requested by ASN, EDF conducted several complementary periodic tests to ensure that the safety criteria, verified through tests sometimes performed several years ago, still meet requirements. With regard to completion of the facility, EDF gave ASN work progress reports on a virtually daily basis right up until the reactor was commissioned. In addition, ASN conducted two inspections dedicated to fuel preparation prior to loading and commissioning of the controlled area, and a campaign of six inspections on preparation for loading and loading of the fuel into the reactor vessel. The preparation of the teams assigned to reactor operation was subject to a tightened inspection. This inspection, which mobilised six ASN inspectors and one expert from the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) for two days, provided the opportunity to check the effective implementation of the measures decided by EDF in response to ASN’s requests after the in-depth inspection conducted from 22 to 26 May 2023. ASN kept close track of the follow-ups to this inspection through to reactor commissioning. The conformity of the NPE was established on the basis of the quality review, the way the irregularities affecting certain items of equipment were addressed and the appropriate preservation of the equipment. ASN continued the equipment conformity assessments through examinations 74 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2024 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection NORMANDIE
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