EDF promises that the EPR of Flamanville will supply electricity in 2023 despite the problems of Taishan

"What is expected is the supply of the first kilowatt of Flamanville 3 in 2023", assured David Le Hir, completion director of this EPR during a local information commission in La Hague, near Flamanville.

EDF had announced in January a new delay in the loading of the fuel pushed back from the end of 2022 to the second quarter of 2023 without specifying when the first kwh would be produced.

"The loading of fuel in the 2nd quarter of 2023 (...) would be the first stage of a start-up process which lasts several months", specified Mr. Le Hir. The announced timetable includes the impact of the problems encountered by the EPR 1 reactor at Taishan, he said.

For Yannick Rousselet, in charge of nuclear issues at Greenpeace France interviewed by AFP on the sidelines of the meeting, these adaptations will necessarily lead to new additional costs, in addition to those announced in January.

Questioned on this point by AFP, Mr. Le Hir replied: “maybe yes, maybe no”.

On the other hand, he denied the assertions on Tuesday by the Commission for Independent Research and Information on Radioactivity (CRIIRAD), an anti-nuclear association, according to which EDF was going to "put in the trash" the fuel intended for the EPR which arrived in 2021 in Flamanville. , or 250 million euros, to replace them with others, reinforced to avoid the problems encountered in Taishan.

"The assemblies (of fuels editor's note) which are currently stored in Flamanville will be used in Flamanville", assured Mr. Le Hir.

EDF is working to avoid two technical problems that occurred in Taishan in Flamanville, he also specified. Breakage of springs on "a few rods" (fuel rods) led to their "leakage".

And moreover, "a phenomenon of localized friction" was identified between the fuel assemblies and the "heavy reflector", a component enveloping the heart which makes it possible to guide the water inside the tank. This "does not call into question the design of the tank", according to Mr. Le Hir.

President Emmanuel Macron announced on February 10 a construction program for six other EPRs in France. That of Flamanville is 11 years late and its cost has risen to 12,7 billion according to EDF against 3,3 billion announced in 2006.