The brand new EPR nuclear reactor at Flamanville in northwestern France will quickly be delivering electrical energy to the grid.
France’s flagship nuclear reactor at Flamanville in Normandy will lastly enter service on Friday after a dozen years of delay, operator EDF stated Wednesday.
The vitality operator stated the coupling to the community of the Flamanville 3 EPR reactor “is planned for December 20, 2024,” however added that operation “will be marked by different power levels through to the summer of 2025” in a months lengthy testing section.
“Following this test phase it is planned for the reactor to operate at 100 percent power until a first scheduled shutdown for maintenance and fuel reloading, dubbed Complete Visit 1 (VC1),” EDF acknowledged.
The beginning-up of the brand new era plant comes 12 years not on time after a plethora of technical setbacks which noticed the price of the venture soar to an estimated 13.2 billion euros—4 instances the preliminary 3.3 billion estimate.
To mark the approaching on stream EDF will maintain a press convention on Friday at its Paris headquarters.
The beginning-up was begun on September 3, however needed to be interrupted the next day as a result of an “automatic shutdown” earlier than resuming just a few days later.
The preliminary start-up marked the start of a gradual enhance in energy as much as the 25 p.c of capability degree permitting the reactor to be linked to the electrical energy community.
The grid connection was initially deliberate to be finalized earlier than the tip of the summer time.
The EPR, a brand new era pressurized water reactor, is the fourth of its variety anyplace on the earth.
Additionally it is the 57th reactor within the French nuclear fleet, and essentially the most highly effective within the nation at 1,600 MW. Finally, it ought to provide electrical energy to upwards of two million properties.
French President Emmanuel Macron has determined to ramp up nuclear energy to bolster French vitality sustainability by ordering six EPR2 reactors in addition to eight extra elective ones from EDF in a coverage dedication costing tens of billions of euros.
The brand new nuclear coverage has helped EDF transfer on from a disaster the necessity for checks or repairs to be carried out on a number of reactors as a result of a stress corrosion downside, inflicting power production to plummet.
Nuclear energy accounts for round three fifths of French vitality output and the nation boasts one of many globe’s largest nuclear energy applications.
That’s in stark distinction to neighboring EU powerhouse Germany, which exited nuclear power final 12 months by shutting down the final three of its reactors.
© 2024 AFP
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After lengthy delay, French nuclear plant approaching stream (2024, December 18)
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