EDF Kicks-off Saint-Alban Nuclear Unit Turnaround

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources India (Delhi, India)--French state utility Electricite de France S A (EDF) (EPA: EDF) (Paris) has started a 60-day scheduled maintenance shutdown at the first 1,335-megawatt (MW) reactor of its Saint-Alban Nuclear Power Station in Southeast France.

Located on Rhone River in the Rhone-Alpes region, the 2,670-MW power facility is spread across two municipalities-Saint-Alban-du-Rhône and Saint-Maurice-Exil. EDF has proposed an investment of €30 million for the maintenance. EDF also seeks to replenish one-third of the fuel in the reactor core over the course of the shutdown.

Apart from a routine overhaul, EDF will carry out hydraulic test of turbine-generator unit, complete inspection and pressure test of Low Pressure (LP) section of the steam turbine during the shutdown. Besides, heating rods in the steam generators connected to a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) in the unit will be replaced during the shutdown.

Saint-Alban nuclear power station has two units of 1,335 MW, each equipped with Alstom (EPA: ALO) (Levallois-Perret, France) steam turbine generator set. The first unit of the plant was commissioned in 1986, followed by the second unit in 1987. The power plant supplies about 18 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per annum to the national grid. EDF has done a similar maintenance shutdown at the second unit of the nuclear power plant in November 2013. Currently, the second unit is operational and supplying power to the grid.

In order to sustain the long-term operational activities, EDF plans statutory maintenance for both nuclear units of Saint Alban nuclear Power Station during 2017-18. In these major turnarounds, EDF plans to invest nearly €1 billion, which would extend the operation permit issued to EDF for the plant for another 10 years.

EDF is the world's largest producer of Nuclear Energy. Currently, EDF is planning to replace its existing nuclear fleet in France with the fourth generation European Pressurized Reactors (EPR).

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