EDF Repairing Pipes at 20 Nuclear Reactors

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--French energy major Électricité de France SA (EPA:EDF) (Paris, France) has announced that repairs will have to be carried out on pumping station pipes at 20 nuclear reactors in France as they may not be capable of withstanding earthquakes.

The company said it has informed the French nuclear regulator ASN that weakened pipe work could threaten reactor cooling systems. The announcement comes just weeks after Industrial Info reported that EDF was forced to shut down its Tricastin nuclear power plant after it failed safety tests related to its ability to withstand an earthquake. For additional information, see October 6, 2017, article - EDF Forced to Shut Tricastin Nuclear Power Plant in France.

"In-depth investigations have revealed thinning of the metal in certain sections of piping, thus making it impossible to guarantee their seismic resistance in the event of a design-base-type earthquake," EDF stated. "This could potentially cause flooding in the pump houses of twenty reactor units, thereby resulting in the functional loss of both reactor cooling water systems."

The company classed the works as Level 2 out of 7 on the international nuclear and radiological event scale (INES).

EDF did not reveal the impact on power supply that the works will have. France relies on nuclear power for three-quarters of its electricity, but at the moment 21 of its 58 reactors are offline, according to Reuters. Delays in restarts following scheduled maintenance along with a safety review ordered by the nuclear authority has meant nuclear power is operating at just 64% of total capacity.

France is hoping to cut its reliance on nuclear power to 50% in the coming years. In July, Industrial Info reported that the new French energy minister, Nicolas Hulot, claimed that the country could shut 17 reactors within the next eight years to achieve that goal. For additional information, see July 20, 2017, article - France To Shut 17 Nuclear Reactors by 2025.

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