Watchdog orders EDF to fix weldings at Flamanville nuclear plant
France's nuclear saftey regulator, the ASN, has ordered utilities giant EDF to repair faulty welding at its EPR reactor under construction at Flamanville, northern France, initially due to enter service in 2012 but which has been dogged by a series of safety issues while also running well over its initial budget.
EDFEDF should repair faulty weldings at the nuclear plant it is building in northern France, according to the technical arm of French nuclear regulator ASN, reports Reuters.
The recommendation by IRSN, which could be confirmed by the ASN in a ruling expected in June, could cost the utility hundreds of millions of euros and lead to further delays at the reactor in Flamanville, which is already years behind schedule and billions of euros over budget.
“Given the importance of the identified defects, the IRSN has concluded that EDF, rather than trying to justify that the weldings are fit for service in their current state, should proceed to repair the weldings,” the IRSN said in a statement.
