a crack discovered in a nuclear power plant in Normandy

Will dozens of nuclear reactors have to be inspected? A crack has indeed been detected in a pipe of one of the reactors of the Penly power plant, in Normandy. It is of no consequence, since the reactor is under maintenance. It is located in the vessel of a reactor, where the nuclear reaction takes place. The pipe concerned belongs to the emergency circuit, which makes it possible to inject water to cool the reactor in the event of an emergency.

EDF is working on a new control strategy

Last year, microcracks had already been discovered in the welds. On Wednesday March 8, a new, much larger crack was discovered on another branch of the circuit. It is 23 mm, on a pipe thickness of 27 mm. The ASN, the nuclear safety authority, claims that this defect affects the safety function of the reactor. It asks to identify similar cases on other reactors of the nuclear fleet. Asked, EDF says it is working on its control strategy.