Flamanville EPR: “The nuclear industry would be really wrong to believe that it is emerging from this dark period”, warns the négaWaat association

The Nuclear Safety Authority gave its approval on Monday for the production of the first electrons from the Flamanville EPR reactor.

“The nuclear industry would be really wrong to believe that it is emerging from this dark period with the start of this period,” warns this Monday on franceinfo Yves Marignac, spokesperson for the association négaWatt. The Nuclear Safety Authority gave its approval on Monday, September 2 to EDF for the production of the first electrons of the EPR reactor of Flamanville whose construction is 12 years behind schedule. The EPR of Flamanville will not produce electricity before at least the end of the fall.

franceinfo: Was it worth waiting 12 years? ?

Yves Marignac : From the moment this reactor is finished being built, it makes sense to start it up. I think that it is a relief today for the nuclear industry. Now, we can actually ask ourselves the question more broadly about the obsolescence of this reactor and its technology. We know that the nuclear industry is now talking more about much smaller, much more flexible reactors, the famous SMRs, and that renewable energies are being deployed all over the world infinitely faster today than nuclear power. The question arises for a reactor for which we must remember that the start of the design dates back to 1989, that is to say, 35 years ago.

The resigning minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, speaks of “an industrial project without equal” which “testifies to French mastery of nuclear power”. What does this statement inspire in you? ?

The key word is “control”. With so many delays and so many difficulties of such diverse natures accumulated throughout the project, it is still difficult to seriously consider the use of this term. It is indeed a relief for the nuclear industry to reach the end of this tunnel.

“This does not take away from the fact that this EPR is an industrial disaster given its delay and its enormous additional costs. It will take EDF a long time to absorb the cost.”

Yves Marignac, spokesperson for the négaWatt association

to franceinfo

Nor does it take anything away from the structural difficulties of the sector, of which the difficulties of the EPR construction site are only one manifestation. The nuclear sector would be really wrong to believe that it is emerging from this dark period with the start of this period and that everything will go well from now on. The future will tell. But I am quite worried to see the profusion of projects and a kind of intoxication of the sector which, today, envisages an extremely positive and serene future, which goes somewhat against both these difficulties and the overall orientations at the world level.

The EPR starts with a cover that will have to be changed within a year and a half. Should we have waited to install a new cover before start-up? ?

Theoretically, if EDF had complied with the initial decision of the Nuclear Safety Authority, which dates back to the difficulties encountered in manufacturing the tank with too high a concentration of carbon in its bottom, the replacement lid should be ready. I do not have precise information on the status of completion of this lid. I think we are close to it. It would have been a good idea to wait to replace this lid to avoid generating radioactive waste, since this lid will be irradiated by the chain reaction. But the Nuclear Safety Authority decided otherwise by granting an exemption.