chronic difficulties some workers have in complying with the radiation protection fundamentals. With regard to environmental protection, ASN underlines the licensee’s efforts in this area over the last few years, for example in waste management, and the way it fully resolved the event declared in late 2023 regarding the deterioration of a retention structure in the demineralisation station. The site nevertheless reported several events revealing malfunctions, particularly concerning gaseous or liquid discharges. In addition, following the tightened inspection in 2024, ASN is waiting for elements to substantiate the liquid containment capacities. With regard to labour inspection, ASN notes that the results concerning worker safety continue to deteriorate. ASN has asked the licensee to remedy the risk of machines colliding with pedestrians and the risks of falling from height. Accident situations involving the use of machine tools occurred in 2024. ASN also considers that the risk assessments must be improved and underlines that, despite the efforts made, there are still too many accidental exposures to asbestos fibres during maintenance work. Lastly, ASNR will be vigilant in ensuring that installations maintain long-term compliance with the Labour Code requirements. CIVAUX NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Civaux NPP operated by EDF in the Vienne département, 30 km south of Poitiers in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, comprises two 1,450 MWe PWRs commissioned in 1997 and 1999. Reactors 1 and 2 constitute BNIs 158 and 159 respectively. The site accommodates one of the regional bases of the Nuclear Rapid Intervention Force (FARN) created by EDF in 2011 further to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP in Japan. Its role is to intervene in pre-accident or accident situations, on any NPP in France, by providing additional human resources and emergency equipment. ASN considers that the performance of the Civaux NPP in 2024 with regard to nuclear safety, radiation protection and environmental protection is in line with its general assessment of EDF plant performance. In the area of nuclear safety, ASN considers that performance improved in 2024, particularly in the operational management of the facilities and in maintenance. Command of the shutdowns and restarting of the two reactors has improved in particular. The safety management improvement measures that brought this progress are to be continued. There is still room for progress in the documentation used, in preparation and assimilation of the various activities, particularly in the area of maintenance, and in the rigour with which they are carried out. The skills of workers in certain specialities also constitute a point requiring close attention. Lastly, ASN took positive note of the satisfactory management of a simulated emergency situation during a national emergency exercise. In the area of radiation protection, ASN observed an improvement in performance on the particularly sensitive worksites during reactor shutdowns. The site has drawn lessons from the contamination dispersion event that occurred in the reactor building in 2023 during the reactor 2 outage. ASN has nevertheless detected shortcomings outside outage periods, showing that the radiation protection culture among workers and the monitoring by EDF can still be improved. ASN conducted a tightened inspection focusing on environmental protection in 2024. Even though the prospects are encouraging, with the start of the work to create a fireextinguishing water containment basin, ASN considers that the current containment of liquid effluents is not sufficiently controlled: more effective verification of the performance level of the isolating material is expected. No major deviation has been observed in the management of liquid effluents during normal operation or in the preservation of the water resource used for the site’s needs. With regard to labour inspection, ASN notes positively the depth of the analyses carried out following near-accidents. However, regarding occupational safety, shortcomings have been observed in the exhaustiveness of the risk analyses. ASN also expects the licensee to mobilise its resources to restore the regulatory conformity of the site’s roadways, heavy cranes, and areas presenting an explosion risk. 82 ABSTRACTS – ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2024 Regional overview of nuclear safety and radiation protection NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE
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