BLAYAIS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Blayais NPP situated in the Gironde département, 50 km north of Bordeaux, is operated by EDF and comprises four Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs) with a power of 900 Megawatts electric (MWe), commissioned in 1981 and 1982. Reactors 1 and 2 constitute Basic Nuclear Installation (BNI) 86 and reactors 3 and 4 BNI 110. ASN again considers that the performance of the Blayais NPP with regard to nuclear safety is below ASN’s general assessment of EDF plant performance. The radiation protection and environmental performance is in line with ASN’s general assessment of the EDF plants. With regard to nuclear safety, in 2024 the Blayais NPP did not manage to stop the deterioration in performance observed since 2022. In the area of reactor operational management, ASN considers the licensee’s performance to be far below average, as evidenced by the number and nature of the notified significant events. With regard to fire risk control, ASN notes a lack of results on the ground, despite the deployment of a plan of rigour. Lastly, with respect to maintenance, where a strong response from the licensee was expected, ASN observed that the site still has difficulties in activity preparation and management, and in the monitoring of maintenance operations. ASN expects results following the action plans initiated in 2023 and 2024 to significantly raise the level of performance, and it will conduct an in-depth inspection in June 2025 to make a detailed assessment of the situation. With regard to occupational radiation protection, ASN considers that the performance has slightly declined compared with 2023, when it was judged to be improving. ASN underlines the licensee’s continued commitment in this area, but observes that its efforts are undermined by NouvelleAquitaine The Bordeaux division regulates nuclear safety, radiation protection and the transport of radioactive substances in the 12 départements of the NouvelleAquitaine region. 135 inspections 9 significant events rated level 1 or higher In 2024, ASN carried out 135 inspections in the Nouvelle‑Aquitaine region, comprising 63 in the Blayais and Civaux Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), 62 in small-scale nuclear facilities, five in the area of radioactive substance transport and five concerning ASN-approved organisations and laboratories. ASN also carried out 17 days of labour inspection at the Blayais NPP and 12 days at the Civaux NPP. During 2024, eight significant event rated level 1 on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) were notified by the NPP licensees in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. In small-scale nuclear activities, one significant radiation protection event rated level 2 on the ASN-SFRO scale was notified to ASN. ASN filed a report with the Public Prosecutor pursuant to Article 40 of the Penal Procedure Code concerning occupational safety. The installations and activities to regulate comprise: • Basic Nuclear Installations: • the Blayais NPP (4 reactors of 900 MWe), • the Civaux NPP (2 reactors of 1,450 MWe); • small-scale nuclear activities in the medical sector: • 19 external-beam radiotherapy departments, • 6 brachytherapy departments, • 23 nuclear medicine departments, • 97 centres practising fluoroscopy-guided interventional procedures, • 135 computed tomography scanners, • some 6,000 medical and dental radiology devices; • small-scale nuclear activities in the industrial, veterinary and research sectors: • about 960 industrial and research centres, including 60 companies with an industrial radiography activity, • 1 cyclotron particle accelerator, • 45 laboratories situated mainly in the universities of the region, • some 450 veterinary surgeries or clinics practising diagnostic radiology; • activities associated with the transport of radioactive substances; • ASN-approved laboratories and organisations: • 1 organisation approved for radiation protection controls, • 12 organisations approved for measuring radon, • 9 laboratories approved for taking environmental radioactivity measurements. Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2024 81
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