EDF has started loading uranium into the Flamanville EPR

EDF announces that it has started loading fuel into the Flamanville EPR on Wednesday May 8 in the early afternoon, the day after the green light given by the Nuclear Safety Authority for the commissioning of the new generation reactor. “This is a new decisive step in the relaunch of nuclear power initiated by the President of the Republic”Bercy then commented, announcing that the loading of fuel would be the “next meeting” of the titanic project, which has accumulated twelve years of delay. “EDF will continue start-up, inspection and test operations over the coming months, in close collaboration and under the control of ASN.”

The operation will last “several days”, specifies EDF, and 241 uranium assemblies will be loaded into the reactor vessel. Connection to the electricity network (the “coupling”) is planned for summer 2024, specifies the energy company, once the reactor has reached 25% of its power. It’s only by “end of the year” that the reactor should deliver its electrons at 100% of its power, according to EDF.

At a time when the government wants to build up to 14 reactors in France, this loading is a major step for EDF and an entire sector which wants to turn the page on a laborious 17-year project, punctuated by multiple problems and additional costs. colossal. Looking out to sea, next to the two older reactors of the Flamanville power station, on the tip of Cotentin, the 1,600 MW reactor will be the most powerful in the French nuclear fleet which will now number 57.